Norfolk Tides named Minor League Team of the Year by Baseball America

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Tides have racked up one more big honor before the close of a hugely successful year.

Norfolk was officially named the 2023 Minor League Team of the Year this week by Baseball America, after winning the same award this fall at the inaugural MiLB Awards Show.

If winning both the International League title (their sixth) and the Triple-A National Championship (their second) wasn’t impressive enough, the Tides also had the best record in the International League at 90-59.

“With six Top 100 Prospects on the Tides’ Opening Day roster—righthander Grayson Rodriguez, third baseman Jordan Westburg, shortstop Joey Ortiz, second baseman Connor Norby, outfielder Colton Cowser and lefthander DL Hall—Norfolk had more Top 100 talent than all but five MLB teams had in their entire organizations.”

Baseball America was also really impressed how the club didn’t see drop offs when several of those players got called up to the Orioles.

“Rodriguez, Westburg and Hall all moved up to Baltimore—and their replacements were equally impressive … third baseman Coby Mayo and outfielder Heston Kjerstad became lineup stalwarts. And then in early September, 19-year-old shortstop Jackson Holliday joined the team. Drafted No. 1 overall in 2022, Holliday had begun the season in Low-A, but he was going to end it trying to help the Tides win an IL and Triple-A championship.”

You can read more from Baseball America here.

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