Indians Confidential

The Cleveland Indians today announced the recipients of the organization’s 2008 Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year awards.

INF BEAU MILLS has been named the 2008 winner of the Lou Boudreau Award as the top minor league position player in the Indians player development system. Additionally, LHP DAVID HUFF has been selected as the Bob Feller Award winner for 2008 as the organization’s top minor league pitcher.

Mills, 22, batted .293 (141-482) with 78 runs scored, 34 doubles, 3 triples, 21 home runs and 90 RBI while also recording a .506 slugging percentage and a .880 OPS in 125 games with the Kinston Indians. Following the season, he was named the Carolina League Most Valuable Player.

Mills was named to both the mid-season and post season Carolina League All-Star teams as he finished tied for 1st in the Carolina League in home runs (21), 2nd in RBI (90) and total bases (244), 3rd in slugging percentage (.506) and extra-base hits (58) and 4th in the league in hits (141). His 21 home runs also led the Indians player development system while his 90RBI were second most among organizational farmhands

A former first round selection (13th overall) of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, Mills hit .332 with 10HR and 40RBI over the final 49 games of the season. Following the season he was ranked the 5th best prospect in the entire Carolina League by Baseball America while also being named as the league’s best defensive first baseman by the publication. Recently he was named the 5th best prospect in the Indians organization entering the 2009 season according to Baseball America.

Huff, 24, combined to go 11-5 with a 2.52 ERA in 27 games/26 starts (146.1IP, 112H, 41ER, 29BB, 143K) between AA Akron and AAA Buffalo while holding opponents to a .210 average against. He started the season at AA Akron going 5-1 with a 1.92 ERA (65.2IP, 44H, 14ER, 14BB, 62K) in 11 games/10 starts before being promoted to Buffalo on June 11th.

At Buffalo, Huff was 6-4 with a 3.01 ERA (80.2IP, 68H, 27ER, 15BB, 81K) in 16 starts for the Bisons. Over his last 9 starts at Buffalo he was 4-2 with a 2.32 ERA (42.2IP, 34H, 11ER). For the year he led all Indians minor league pitchers in ERA (2.52), was 2nd in innings pitched (146.1) and strikeouts (143) and T4th in wins (11). His combined .210 average against between Akron and Buffalo was the 11th lowest mark among all full season minor league pitchers.

Following the season he was named the 6th best prospect in the International League by Baseball America. He was the 39th overall pick (sandwich round between rounds 1/2) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft by the Indians out of UCLA. Yesterday, Huff was named the 8th best prospect in the Indians organization entering 2009 according to Baseball America.