The Boston Red Sox minor league awards are back for June. We had an eventful month with quite a few weekly award winners across the system, so there are plenty of worthy candidates.
We have a return winner, some new faces, and we might even have someone taking home double prizes (imagine I said double prizes in the voice of Sid from Toy Story when he gets Woody and Buzz from the claw machine at Pizza Planet). So buckle up, it’s a bumpy ride.
Red Sox Minor League Awards for June 2026: Ahbram Liendo wins big, Braiden Ward
Dedgar Jimenez Award (starting pitcher of the month)
Winner: Gage Ziehl
Runner-ups: Anthony Eyanson, Devin Futrell, Kyson Witherspoon
Yes, we know Anthony Eyanson had a 0.52 ERA (and shoutout to Devin Futrell and Kyson Witherspoon, who were both great). However, some of his other numbers just weren’t as dominant as Gage Ziehl’s.
Ziehl was on a run in June. The right-handed pitcher posted a 1.66 ERA, .192 BAA, and 0.83 WHIP in four starts (3-0). He struck out 23 batters and walked three in 21 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old threw at least five innings in all four starts he made in the month, never giving up more than two runs. Ziehl even set a career-high with nine strikeouts on June 19. Acquired in the Jordan Hicks trade this offseason, the Red Sox have to be happy with the Miami product’s progression this month.
Joan Martinez Award (relief pitcher of the month)
Winner: Max Carlson
Runner-ups: Calvin Bickerstaff, Jason Gilman, Jacob Mayers
Calvin Bickerstaff and Max Carlson were the two finalists here. Bickerstaff had a lower ERA (1.93 ERA compared to Carlson’s 2.92). Nearly one full run lower might make you think Bickerstaff deserves it over Carlson, but there's nuance here.
Carlson had the lower WHIP (1.05 to 1.07) and the lower BAA (.229 to .245). He also struck out more batters (17 to 11) and walked fewer (2 to 3) in 12 1/3 innings compared to the 14 innings Bickerstaff pitched. Meanwhile, Carlson didn’t allow any home runs, while Bickerstaff surrendered two. Both pitchers were elite, but Carlson was a bit more untouchable.
Chih-Hsien Chiang Award (offensive player of the month)
Winner: Ahbram Liendo
Runner-ups: Johanfran Garcia, Franklin Arias, Antonio Anderson, Andruw Musett
Johanfran Garcia really deserved this award. The right-handed-hitting catcher slashed .372/.400/.547 with six doubles and three home runs. He drove in 13 runs, scored 12, and stole one base. Garcia would’ve beaten out big months from Franklin Arias, Andruw Musett, and Antonio Anderson.
However, his own Portland teammate bested him. Infielder Ahbram Liendo was otherworldly in June. The right-handed hitter slashed .309/.395/.559 with five doubles, four home runs, and an organizational-leading 22 RBI in Double-A. Liendo scored 14 runs and stole six bases.
Yes, the batting average was much lower, but the OBP barely dipped, and the slugging percentage was higher. Due to that, Liendo actually had a better OPS than Garcia in June. The massive RBI gap also makes a huge difference. Liendo simply wasn’t passing up on opportunities to drive home his teammates this month. We’ll hear more about him in a moment.
Deiner Lopez Award (defensive player of the month)
Winner: Ahbram Liendo
Runner-ups: Nelly Taylor, Miguel Bleis, Franklin Arias, Skylar King, Isaiah Jackson, Andrews Opata
The Red Sox are not starved for good defense in their minor league system, and in June the gloves were out. A lot of the usual suspects showed up, making diving plays, leaping grabs, and showing off their arms (special shoutout to Miguel Bleis, who threw out multiple base runners on the final day of the month, clearly trying to earn some last-minute points).
Liendo was the star of the show, though. His defense at third base is immaculate. Not only does he make the regular plays, but he has the speed and athleticism to get to the slow rollers, balls down the line (and the arm to get the ball to first), and some difficult plays to his right. Liendo also has incredible instincts and reaction time, and boy did he show it off this month.
Danny Mars Award (baserunner of the month)
Winner: Braiden Ward
Runner-ups: Andrews Opata, Skylar King, Givian Sirvania, Stanley Tucker, Justin Gonzales
Surprise, surprise, it’s Braiden Ward again. But shoutout to Justin Gonzales for going a perfect 6-for-6 on stolen base attempts in June after being 0-for-1 in the first two months combined. Givian Sirvania and Stanley Tucker each had seven steals, while Skylar King and Andrews Opata both had nine.
Ward is a different animal, though. The left-handed hitter struggled in June, only getting on base at a .306 clip. Despite that, he stole 11 bags in 13 attempts. He's an absolute menace on the base paths. He creates havoc by bunting, forcing errors on pickoffs, and legging out extra bases. Even when he doesn’t have his offense working for him, Ward makes a difference.
Add us as a preferred source on Google