Rosario earns MVP, Wiel is Most Popular, and Reed wins Most Civic Minded via fan vote.
ROCHESTER, NY – Wilin Rosario, Zander Wiel, and Jake Reed have won Rochester Red Wings team awards for 2019.
Rosario was voted by the fans as the Most Valuable Red Wing. He batted .301/.340/.499 with 24 doubles, 19 home runs, 89 RBI, and 70 runs scored in 104 games with Rochester this season. His 89 RBI rank third in the International League and are an affiliated career-high. The total is the most by a Red Wing since Garrett Jones drove in 92 runs in 2008. Rosario hit three home runs and drove in seven runs on July 23 vs. Norfolk, becoming just the second Wing in the history of Frontier Field to hit three homers in a game at home.
Wiel was selected by the fans as the Most Popular Red Wing. Wiel batted .255/.320/.517 with 40 doubles, five triples, a team-leading 24 home runsHe leads the International League with 69 extra-base hits and 40 doubles this season. The extra-base hits are the most in the in the IL since Andy Wilkins collected 69 with Charlotte in 2014. Wiel is the first Red Wing with 69 extra-base hits in a season since Jim Fuller tallied 69 in 1973. His 40 doubles are the most in a single season by a Wing since Don Richmond had 40 in 1952. Wiel is just the sixth IL player since 2005 with at least 40 doubles in a season, last accomplished when Taylor Motter hit 43 for Durham in 2015. Wiel is second in the league with 85 runs scored (two behind the leader). That total is the most during the Twins-era and the most since Willis Otanez scored 87 times in 1998.
Reed earned Most Civic Minded for the second straight season for his work in the community. He volunteered his time at various events and programs throughout the Rochester area, including heavy involvement with Rochester Challenger Baseball.
Wings attendance
The Red Wings drew more fans in 2019 than any season since 2010. The 451,853 fans are the most in a season since the team drew 462,004 in 2010 and nearly 14,000 more than last year.
On May 26 the team was 21,000 fans behind 2018 at that point in the season. But the weather improved and so did the crowds: seven nights of at least 10,000 and three of over 12,000, including a season-high 12,483 on July 3.