Bassitt, Harper, Torkelson named A's 2021 organizational award winners

The Philadelphia Athletics named their organizational award winners for the 2021 season, highlighted by the selection of Bryce Harper as the Jimmy Foxx Award winner for a second straight year. It was Harper's fourth overall selection for the honor as the club's top offensive performer. He previously was named as the Foxx Award recipient in both 2015 and 2017 as well as these last two seasons. Only teammate Mike Trout, a five-time honoree, has won the award more over the history of the franchise.

Just after the regular season had gotten underway in early April, the A's GM Matt Veasey swung a deal with Portland aimed at improving the team's starting pitching depth. That trade sent a three-prospect package out west, with right-hander Chris Bassitt joining the Athletics rotation options. Over the course of the season, Bassitt not only proved himself to be a two-start option, but also one of the most reliable members of manager Chase Utley's staff.

Today, Bassitt was named as the winner of the Lefty Grove Award, given to the organization's top performing pitcher. He finished at the following ranks among the club's starting pitchers: Quality Starts (1), Wins (2), ERA (2), WHIP (2), Strikeouts (3), Innings (3) before being lost for the season to injury early in Week 21.

Last summer the Athletics held the first overall pick in the 2020 WFBL Minors Draft by way of a trade with New York a year earlier. With that pick, the A's chose an advanced college hitter, Spencer Torkelson, out of Arizona State University. Flash-forward one year later and that selection made during the COVID-affected summer appears close to being able to payoff big with help for the Athletics big-league club.

Torkelson has been named as the organization's top prospect with presentation today of the Lawrence 'Crash' Davis Award. While playing across three levels of the MLB minor leagues, Torkelson has put together a .277/.391/.554 slash line with 19 homers, 21 doubles 65 RBIs, and 57 runs scored. He also carries a powerful .945 OPS mark. Turning just 22 years of age next week, Torkelson is poised to come to spring training next year with a legitimate shot at the A's Majors roster. With the WFBL introducing the DH for the 2023 season, should he continue to develop as expected a regular everyday role is his no later than that year.

Torkelson is the first position player to capture the honors in five years, since Scott Kingery back in 2017. Of the 23 previous winners, only seven have made any real impact with the Athletics at the Majors level, none since Bryce Harper was chosen a decade ago.