Dodgers Name Eduardo Quintero and Christian Zazueta Branch Rickey Minor League Players of the Year
DODGERS NAME EDUARDO QUINTERO AND CHRISTIAN ZAZUETA BRANCH RICKEY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that they have named outfielder Eduardo Quintero as the Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year and right-handed pitcher Christian Zazueta as the Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Quintero, 20, started the season with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga and slashed .306/.426/.533 with 14 homers and 53 RBI. He was promoted to High-A Great Lakes on July 25 and finished his season batting .259 with five homers and 16 RBI. He swiped 47 bases in 60 tries, finishing fourth in the organization, behind Kendall George (100), Jaron Elkins (62) and Esteury Ruiz (61). On Tuesday, he was named the California League Player of the Year and California League All-Star, notching 38 extra-bases and 35 stolen bases with the Quakes. He won California League Player of the Week on May 12 and June 2. During the week of May 5-11, he hit safely in six games, recording nine hits, including three homers and five RBI, and during his second Player of the Week campaign, he notched four multi-hit games, including three straight games with three hits from May 29-31. The Venezuelan native is in his third season with the Dodgers, batting .303 with 27 homers and 154 RBI in 245 games. He was signed by the Dodgers as an international free agent on January 15, 2023 out of Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela.
Zazueta, 20, went 7-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 17 starts between Low-A Rancho Cucamonga and High-A Great Lakes. He made all but one start for the Quakes, striking out 80 batters in 66.1 innings and posting a 2.44 ERA. In his lone start for Great Lakes on August 31, he fired one scoreless inning with one strikeout. He was named a California League All-Star, joining teammates Quintero and Elijah Hainline. He was acquired on February 5, 2024 from the New York Yankees along with left-hander Matt Gage in exchange for left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson. In two seasons with the Dodgers, he is 11-7 with a 3.84 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 138.1 innings. He has been in the minors four seasons, collecting a 4.08 ERA with a 14-12 record and 242 strikeouts in 211.2 innings. The Mexican native was originally signed by the New York Yankees as an international free agent on January 17, 2022 out of Navajoa, Sonora, Mexico.
Quintero and Zazueta will both be presented with their respective awards and honored in a pregame ceremony at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Sept. 19 prior to the Dodgers’ game vs. San Francisco.
Branch Rickey Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year: 1989-2025
Year Player of the Year Pitcher of the Year
1989 Mike Huff, Albuquerque (OF) Jim Poole, Vero Beach (LHP)
1990 Henry Rodriguez, San Antonio (OF) Jamie McAndrew, Bakersfield/San Antonio (RHP)
1991 Eric Karros, Albuquerque (IB) Pedro Martinez, San Antonio/Albuquerque (RHP)
1992 Mike Piazza, San Antonio/Albuquerque (C) Todd Williams, Bakersfield/San Antonio (RHP)
1993 Billy Ashley, Albuquerque (OF) Kip Gross, Albuquerque (RHP)
1994 Billy Ashley, Albuquerque (OF) Greg Hansell, Albuquerque (RHP)
1995 Adam Riggs, San Bernardino (IF) Gary Rath, San Antonio/Albuquerque (LHP)
1996 Paul Konerko, San Antonio/Albuquerque (IF) Billy Neal, Vero Beach (RHP)
1997 Paul Konerko, Albuquerque (IF) Dennys Reyes, San Antonio/Albuquerque (LHP)
1998 Angel Peña, San Antonio (C) Luke Prokopec, San Bernardino/San Antonio (RHP)
1999 Chin-Feng Chen, San Bernardino (OF) Eric Gagné, San Antonio (RHP)
2000 Joe Thurston, San Bernardino (IF) Carlos Garcia, San Bernardino (RHP)
2001 Phil Hiatt, Las Vegas (IF) Ricardo Rodriguez, Vero Beach (LHP)
2002 Joe Thurston, Las Vegas (IF) Edwin Jackson, South Georgia (RHP)
2003 Franklin Gutierrez, VB/Jacksonville (OF) Greg Miller, Vero Beach/Jacksonville (LHP)
2004 Joel Guzman, Vero Beach/Jacksonville (OF) Chad Billingsley, Vero Beach/Jacksonville (RHP)
2005 Andy LaRoche, Vero Beach/Jacksonville (IF) Chad Billingsley, Jacksonville (RHP)
2006 James Loney, Las Vegas (1B) Mark Alexander, Jacksonville/Las Vegas (RHP)
2007 Chin-lung Hu, Jacksonville/Las Vegas (IF) James McDonald, Inland Empire/Jacksonville (RHP)
2008 Ivan De Jesus, Jr., Jacksonville (IF) James McDonald, Jacksonville/Los Angeles (RHP)
2009 Dee Gordon, Great Lakes (IF) Scott Elbert, Chattanooga/Albuquerque/Los Angeles (LHP)
2010 Jerry Sands, Great Lakes/Chattanooga (IF/OF) Rubby De La Rosa, Great Lakes/Chattanooga (RHP)
2011 Scott Van Slyke, Chattanooga (IF/OF) Shawn Tolleson, Great Lakes/Rancho/Chattanooga (RHP)
2012 Joc Pederson, Rancho Cucamonga (OF) John Ely, Albuquerque (RHP)
2013 Scott Schebler, Rancho Cucamonga (OF) Zach Lee, Chattanooga (RHP)
2014 Joc Pederson, Albuquerque (OF), Julio Urias, Rancho Cucamonga (LHP)
Corey Seager, Rancho Cucamonga/Chattanooga (IF)
2015 Alex Verdugo, Great Lakes/Rancho Cucamonga (OF) Zach Lee, Oklahoma City (RHP)
2016 Edwin Rios, Great Lakes/Rancho Cucamonga/Tulsa (IF) Brock Stewart, Rancho Cucamonga/Tulsa/Oklahoma City (RHP)
2017 Keibert Ruiz, Great Lakes/Rancho Cucamonga (C) Walker Buehler, Rancho Cucamonga/Tulsa/Oklahoma City (RHP)
2018 Gavin Lux, Rancho Cucamonga/Tulsa (INF) Tony Gonsolin, Rancho Cucamonga/Tulsa (RHP)
2019 Gavin Lux, Tulsa/Oklahoma City (INF) Josiah Gray, Great Lakes/Rancho Cucamonga/Tulsa (RHP)
2021 Miguel Vargas, Tulsa (INF) Hyun-Il Choi, Great Lakes/Rancho Cucamonga (RHP)
2022 Diego Cartaya, Rancho Cucamonga/Great Lakes (C) Gavin Stone, Great Lakes/Tulsa/Oklahoma City (RHP)
2023 Michael Busch, Oklahoma City (INF) Kyle Hurt, Great Lakes, Tulsa/OKC (RHP)
2024 Dalton Rushing, Tulsa/Oklahoma City (C) Jackson Ferris, Great Lakes/Tulsa (LHP)
2025 Eduardo Quintero, Rancho Cucamonga/Great Lakes (OF) Christian Zazueta, Rancho Cucamonga/Great Lakes (RHP)
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