We’ve entered September, which means the minor league season is dangerously close to completion. It also means it’s time to hand out some awards for the month of August.
We have quite a few first-time winners this time around, and a certain giant is on the list as well.
Red Sox Minor League Awards August 2026: Justin Gonzales run production, Hayden Mullins honored
Dedgar Jimenez Award (starting pitcher of the month)
Winner: Hayden Mullins
Runner-ups: Blake Wehunt, Jason Gilman, Dylan Brown
You could point to a few strong performances this month out of the rotations throughout the system. If we’re being realistic, this was going to be Hayden Mullins for a while now.
The left-handed pitcher posted a 1.33 ERA, .225 BAA, and 1.28 WHIP in four starts. He struck out 29 batters and walked eight in 20 1/3 innings.
Mullins has had major command issues this season, but those problems only cropped up once this month. With the improved control, we saw a dominant version of the lefty that we haven’t really seen since last season.
Joan Martinez Award (relief pitcher of the month)
Winner: Brady Tygart
Runner-ups: Max Carlson, Noah Song, Angel Bastardo, Ethan Walker
The reliever race was much tighter than the starter race. Max Carlson only stumbled right at the end of the month after a promotion to Triple-A. Meanwhile, Ethan Walker started a game on August 26, which disqualifies him from the award.
Brady Tygart did everything right in August. The right-handed pitcher posted a 3.12 ERA, .117 BAA, 0.75 WHIP, and a 3-0 record in four games. He had 24 strikeouts and six walks in 17 1/3 innings.
Tygart set a career-high with 10 strikeouts in his August 19 appearance. He followed that up by striking out nine on August 25. It wasn’t just strikeouts, though. He never allowed more than two hits or more than two walks in a single outing. Everything was dominant.
Tygart wasn’t a stereotypical reliever. His shortest outing of the month was two innings, while the longest was six. They were all out of the bullpen, though, so he gets the nod.
Chih-Hsien Chiang Award (offensive player of the month)
Winner: Justin Gonzales
Runner-ups: Franklin Primera, Anderson Fermin
I kept the runner-ups list short. The first draft had about 12 names on it, but I decided to cut it down to the elite of the elite for August.
Anderson Fermin slashed .400/.491/.467. The switch-hitting outfielder only struck out five times while drawing eight walks. His downfall was that he only had three extra-base hits (all doubles) and drove in just seven runs (and scored six).
Franklin Primera could throw the challenge flag if he wants. The right-handed-hitting catcher slashed .382/.535/.592 with five doubles, one triple, and three home runs. Primera drove in 15 runs, scored 19, and stole two bases. He also walked literally twice as many times (16) as he struck out (8). Also, opposing pitchers, please stop hitting him. He got hit by nine pitches in August alone.
Justin Gonzales, our winner, did Justin Gonzales things. The right-handed-hitting outfielder slashed .337/.438/.558 with five doubles, one triple, and four home runs. Okay, so the slash line was worse. Why did he win? Well, Gonzales drove in a ridiculous 23 runs and scored 22 more. That’s legendary run production and needs to be honored.
Deiner Lopez Award (defensive player of the month)
Winner: Will Turner
Runner-ups: Isaiah Jackson, Franklin Primera, Nelly Taylor, Ahbram Liendo
Isaiah Jackson and Nelly Taylor are the standards when it comes to outfield defense. Ahbram Liendo is a legitimate Gold Glove third baseman. Meanwhile, Primera has been so much fun to watch behind the plate. I’m excited to watch him continue to grow as he progresses through the levels.
What happens when you rob multiple home runs in the same month, though? The answer is, you win Defensive Player of the Month. Will Turner did just that. He also made some spectacular diving plays and showed off his strong arm multiple times.
Danny Mars Award (baserunner of the month)
Winner: Andrews Opata
Runner-ups: Braiden Ward, Louis Andujar, Stanley Tucker
Andrews Opata nabbed 12 bases in just 13 attempts this month to take home the award. It also got the outfielder up to 53 steals on the season. That puts him just one behind Braiden Ward (54) for the organizational lead. Ward went 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts in August, by the way.
Opata regularly swipes bags, beats out infield hits, and can stretch an extra base on a hit. However, he can also go from first to home better than 99% of the league. That’s a huge advantage for Salem, and it’s something we saw make a big impact for them this month.
Add us as a preferred source on Google