The Midwest League Top MLB Prospect Award is an annual award given to the best rookie player in Minor League Baseball's Midwest League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. League broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, and members of the media have previously voted as well. Though the league was established in 1947, the award was not created until 1956 as the Prospect of the Year Award. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the in 2021 before reverting to the Midwest League name in 2022. The Top MLB Prospect Award began to be issued instead of the Prospect of the Year Award in 2021.

Sixteen outfielders have won the Top MLB Prospect Award, the most of any position. Shortstops, with 15 winners, have won the most among infielders, followed by third basemen (4), first basemen (3), and second basemen (1). Thirteen pitchers and six catchers have also won the award.

Twenty-four players who have won the Top MLB Prospect Award also won the Midwest League Most Valuable Player Award in the same season: Willie Wilson (1975), Paul Molitor (1977), Bill Foley (1978), Dave Stockstill (1979), Von Hayes (1980), Luis Medina (1986), Tom Redington (1989), Reggie Sanders (1990), Salomón Torres (1991), Steve Gibralter (1992), Pablo Ozuna (1998), Albert Pujols (2000), Adrián González (2001), Prince Fielder (2003), Brian Dopirak (2004), Carlos González (2005), Ben Revere (2008), Dee Strange-Gordon (2009), Mike Trout (2010), Rymer Liriano (2011), Byron Buxton (2013), Eloy Jiménez (2016), Bo Bichette (2017), and Andy Pages (2021).

Six players from the Cedar Rapids Kernels have been selected for the Top MLB Prospect Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Beloit Sky Carp and Waterloo Indians (5); the South Bend Cubs (4); the Burlington Bees, Clinton Pirates, Dayton Dragons, Great Lakes Loons, Lansing Lugnuts, Peoria Chiefs, Quad Cities River Bandits, and West Michigan Whitecaps (3); the Fort Wayne TinCaps, Kenosha Twins, Wausau Timbers, and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (2); and the Bowling Green Hot Rods, Decatur Commodores, Kane County Cougars, Kokomo Dodgers, Michigan City White Caps, and Rockford Royals (1).

Eight players from the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball (MLB) organization have won the award, more than any other, followed by the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds organizations (6); the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Milwaukee Brewers organizations (4); the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals organizations (3); the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Guardians, Miami Marlins, and Seattle Mariners organizations (2); and the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays organizations (1).

Winners

+KeyPositionIndicates the player's primary position^Indicates multiple award winners in the same year

+WinnersYearWinnerTeamOrganizationPosition 1956Clinton PiratesPittsburgh PiratesPitcher19571958Michigan City White CapsSan Francisco GiantsPitcher1959Kokomo DodgersLos Angeles DodgersShortstop1960Decatur CommodoresDetroit TigersPitcher1961Davenport BravesMilwaukee BravesPitcher1962Waterloo HawksBoston Red SoxPitcher1963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975Waterloo RoyalsKansas City RoyalsOutfielder1976Outfielder1977Burlington BeesMilwaukee BrewersShortstop1978Catcher1979Wausau TimbersChicago CubsOutfielder1980Waterloo IndiansCleveland IndiansThird baseman1981Wausau TimbersSeattle MarinersSecond baseman1982Clinton GiantsSan Francisco GiantsPitcher1983Quad Cities CubsChicago CubsShortstop1984Cedar Rapids RedsCincinnati RedsShortstop1985Beloit BrewersMilwaukee BrewersCatcher1986^Waterloo IndiansCleveland IndiansOutfielderKenosha TwinsMinnesota TwinsPitcher1987Catcher1988Appleton FoxesKansas City RoyalsPitcher1989Burlington BravesAtlanta BravesThird baseman1990Cedar Rapids RedsCincinnati RedsOutfielder1991Clinton GiantsSan Francisco GiantsPitcher1992Cedar Rapids RedsCincinnati RedsOutfielder1993Rockford RoyalsKansas City RoyalsOutfielder1994Appleton FoxesSeattle MarinersShortstop1995Fort Wayne WizardsMinnesota TwinsCatcher1996Peoria ChiefsSt. Louis CardinalsPitcher1997West Michigan WhitecapsDetroit TigersPitcher1998Peoria ChiefsSt. Louis CardinalsShortstop1999Lansing LugnutsChicago CubsOutfielder2000Peoria ChiefsSt. Louis CardinalsThird baseman2001Kane County CougarsFlorida MarlinsFirst baseman2002Quad Cities River BanditsMinnesota TwinsCatcher2003Beloit SnappersMilwaukee BrewersFirst baseman2004Lansing LugnutsChicago CubsFirst baseman2005South Bend Silver HawksArizona DiamondbacksOutfielder2006West Michigan WhitecapsDetroit TigersOutfielder2007Great Lakes LoonsLos Angeles DodgersPitcher2008Beloit SnappersMinnesota TwinsOutfielder2009Great Lakes LoonsLos Angeles DodgersShortstop2010Cedar Rapids KernelsLos Angeles Angels of AnaheimOutfielder2011Fort Wayne TinCapsSan Diego PadresOutfielder2012Beloit SnappersMinnesota TwinsThird baseman2013Cedar Rapids KernelsOutfielder2014South Bend Silver HawksArizona DiamondbacksShortstop2015South Bend CubsChicago CubsShortstop2016Outfielder2017Lansing LugnutsToronto Blue JaysShortstop2018Cedar Rapids KernelsMinnesota TwinsShortstop2019Bowling Green Hot RodsTampa Bay RaysShortstop2020 2021Great Lakes LoonsLos Angeles DodgersOutfielder2022Dayton DragonsCincinnati RedsShortstop2023Shortstop2024Beloit Sky CarpMiami MarlinsPitcher2025West Michigan WhitecapsDetroit TigersShortstop2026Dayton DragonsCincinnati RedsCatcher

Wins by team

Active Midwest League teams appear in bold.

Team Award(s) Year(s)Cedar Rapids Kernels (Cedar Rapids Reds)61984, 1990, 1992, 2010, 2013, 2018Beloit Sky Carp (Beloit Brewers/Snappers)51995, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2024Waterloo Indians (Waterloo Hawks/Royals)1962, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1986South Bend Cubs (South Bend Silver Hawks)42005, 2014, 2015, 2016Burlington Bees (Burlington Braves)31977, 1978, 1989Clinton Pirates (Clinton Pirates)1956, 1982, 1991Dayton Dragons2022, 2023, 2026Great Lakes Loons2007, 2009, 2021Lansing Lugnuts1999, 2004, 2017Peoria Chiefs1996, 1998, 2000Quad Cities River Bandits (Davenport Braves/Quad Cities Cubs)1961, 1983, 2002West Michigan Whitecaps1997, 2006, 2025Fort Wayne TinCaps (Fort Wayne Wizards)21995, 2011Kenosha Twins1986, 1987Wausau Timbers1979, 1981Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Appleton Foxes)1988, 1994Bowling Green Hot Rods12019Decatur Commodores1960Kane County Cougars2001Kokomo Dodgers1959Michigan City White Caps1958Rockford Royals1993

Wins by organization

Active Midwest League–Major League Baseball affiliations appear in bold.

Organization Award(s) Year(s)Minnesota Twins81986, 1987, 1995, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2018Chicago Cubs61979, 1983, 1999, 2004, 2015, 2016Cincinnati Reds1984, 1990, 1992, 2022, 2023, 2026Detroit Tigers41960, 1997, 2006, 2025Kansas City Royals1975, 1976, 1988, 1993Los Angeles Dodgers1959, 2007, 2009, 2021Milwaukee Brewers1977, 1978, 1985, 2003San Francisco Giants31958, 1982, 1991St. Louis Cardinals1996, 1998, 2000Arizona Diamondbacks22005, 2014Atlanta Braves (Milwaukee Braves)1961, 1989Cleveland Guardians (Cleveland Indians)1980, 1986Miami Marlins (Florida Marlins)2001, 2024Seattle Mariners1981, 1994Boston Red Sox11962Los Angeles Angels2010Pittsburgh Pirates1956San Diego Padres2011Tampa Bay Rays2019Toronto Blue Jays2017

References Specific

General