WEYMOUTH, Mass. (August 28, 2024) 一 August is “awards season” in the Futures League.
With the Norwich Sea Unicorns having clinched the regular-season and postseason championships for the second straight year earlier this month, the Futures League has revealed its complete cast of on-field postseason award winners.
The recipients were announced over a two-week period via the league’s social media channels. Prior to the public announcements, each of the eight teams’ field managers nominated players from their respective rosters and cast votes when the regular season concluded on Sunday, Aug. 4.
In addition to the awards listed below, All-Futures League first and second teams will be revealed in early September to recognize the league’s top players at their respective positions. The league’s organizational/staff award and the inaugural Pete Wilk Award recipients will be announced beginning in October.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Mark Quatrani, Vermont Lake Monsters, Cornell University
Quatrani is the first Futures League MVP recipient from Vermont, the organization that had produced the Pitcher of the Year in each of its first three seasons from 2021-23. After emerging as the Ivy League Rookie of the Year during the spring of 2024, the catcher/designated hitter from Springfield, Pa., led qualifying Futures League hitters with a .465 slugging percentage and hit a third-best .333 through 40 games this summer. Additionally, his 34 RBI were one shy of the league lead, while his .441 on-base percentage was also second. Quatrani produced a team-leading 48 hits, including five doubles, one triple and four home runs, crossed the plate 22 times, and walked more than he struck out. He put together 12 multi-hit and 10 multi-RBI games, with three, three-hit games coming in the middle of an eight-game hit streak from June 18-28. An All-Star catcher for Team Three Rivers, he also had two hits and two RBI in the postseason. Quatrani becomes the second-ever Ivy Leaguer to win the league’s top honor, following former Dartmouth College star and current New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, who took it home as a Worcester Braveheart in 2020.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Brady Stuart, Worcester Bravehearts, Endicott College
After helping Endicott reach its second consecutive Division 3 College World Series in his sophomore year, Stuart put together a dominant summer to become Worcester’s first Futures League Pitcher of the Year since 2019. The right-hander from Hudson, Mass., posted a 0.81 ERA and league-leading 54 strikeouts across 44 innings as a Braveheart. Stuart worked 26.1 consecutive scoreless innings to begin the summer, while finishing five starts and six of his nine total appearances without allowing an earned run. In a highlight outing on June 28, he came within one out of only the second individual nine-inning no-hitter in Futures League history, but wound up finishing a complete-game shutout of the Road Warriors and his first of two consecutive 12-strikeout games.
RELIEF PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Sean Gamble, Vermont Lake Monsters, Minnesota State University
The second Futures League Relief Pitcher of the Year from the Lake Monsters in the last three summers, Gamble shined in taking on the closer’s role in Vermont’s bullpen during his second stint with the team. The Texas native compiled a league-leading seven saves and won two more across his 18 appearances, one shy of the league-high mark during the regular season. Gamble threw 19.2 innings with 30 strikeouts, fanning three batters in a handful of his appearances and working 11 of his first 12 and 15 total games without allowing an earned run. Included were his two victories, both coming against the Worcester Bravehearts. A win in his final regular-season game on July 31 against Worcester followed a streak of three straight outings with a save. Gamble also recorded three outings of two full innings in length.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gianno Merlonghi, Westfield Starfires, Central Connecticut State University
Merlonghi was a standout on both sides of the ball as Westfield played all the way to its first-ever championship appearance. The center fielder not only finished as a top-five hitter in the Futures League in numerous offensive categories, but he led all outfielders in total chances (130), putouts (119) and assists (10) while committing just one error over his 45 regular-season games. He was the only player to record double-digit assists from the grass, finishing with three more than the rest of the field. At the plate, Merlonghi ranked among league leaders with a .314 average alongside 40 runs scored, 72 total bases and a team-best 16 stolen bases. The Monroe, Conn., native was also lauded as a second-team All-Northeast Conference player last spring and enters his senior year at Central Connecticut.
TOP PRO PROSPECT (POSITION PLAYER)
AJ Evasco, New Britain Bees, Kansas State University
The fourth straight college riser to win this Futures League honor, Evasco prepared for his freshman year at Kansas State by hitting a team-best .371 with 25 RBI and 18 runs scored in 30 games with New Britain. Evasco’s 43 hits included seven doubles and one homer. After hitting in his first three of four games to begin the summer, the native of Lincoln, Neb., got to work on a streak of 19 consecutive games reaching base that was the third-longest in the league all summer. Evasco also capped his Bees tenure with five consecutive multi-hit games and a nod to Team Rose City in the Futures League All-Star Game. He finished the season with multiple hits in 14 games and had multiple RBI on seven occasions. Evasco was ranked the No. 3 overall player and No. 1 outfielder in Nebraska according to Perfect Game.
TOP PRO PROSPECT (PITCHER)
Donte Lewis, New Britain Bees, Kansas State University
Lewis is a Kansas State-bound standout from Pearland, Texas, who joined the Bees as a two-way player this summer, particularly excelling in his six appearances as a relief pitcher. The No. 29 overall player and No. 8-ranked right-handed pitcher in the Lone Star State according to Perfect Game, Lewis limited opponents to a .159 average and struck out 13 across 12 innings of work. He allowed just seven hits and three earned runs during the summer, which included earning a save on June 27 following two scoreless, hitless innings against the Nashua Silver Knights. Lewis also appeared in 21 games as a position player in the infield and outfield, recording three extra-base hits, 13 RBI, 15 runs scored and 12 stolen bases.
MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Paul Bonfiglio, Westfield Starfires
The second consecutive manager to win the award in his debut summer, Bonfiglio led the Starfires to the winningest season in their sixth-year franchise history as they went 34-22 en route finishing second in the regular-season standings ahead of their first-ever championship series appearance. Bonfiglio’s Westfield club scored a league-leading 365 runs and hit 41 home runs on the season, while the Central Connecticut duo of Gianno Merlonghi and Aidan Redahan were both top-10 qualifying hitters. Westfield native left-hander Jake Jachym, who won five games and had a 2.60 ERA in 46.2 innings, was another one of the team’s six Futures League All-Stars. Bonfiglio had served as one of Westfield’s assistant coaches for three summers prior to taking on the managerial post, meaning that he has been a part of all four Starfires teams to post 30-win seasons. He previously was the head coach at Wayland High School from 2018-22.
UMPIRE OF THE YEAR
Matt Ball
In the return of an award that the Futures League initially presented in 2013, Ball was selected as the top umpire following a vote of the league’s field managers. Ball is a veteran of the Futures League and several other summer collegiate leagues throughout his career, having been a member of the Collegiate Baseball Umpires Assigning Organization since 2015. He received top Futures League assignments throughout the summer, working as the home plate umpire for the All-Star Game and deciding championship games, which were both held at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn. Ball began umpiring in 2011 with his dad following a playing career which included appearing in the 2002 Little League World Series.
ADAM KEENAN SPORTSMANSHIP & SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Gabe Pitts, Brockton Rox, Central Connecticut State University
Jeff Valdez, Nashua Silver Knights, Siena College
Daniel Perez, New Britain Bees, University of Memphis
MD Conner, Norwich Sea Unicorns, Galveston College
Marcus Ollivierre, Road Warriors, UMass Dartmouth
Wyatt Patchett, Vermont Lake Monsters, Le Moyne College
Jackson Haker, Westfield Starfires, Central Connecticut State University
Josh Fischer, Worcester Bravehearts, Wheaton College
For the fifth consecutive season, one player from each of the Futures League’s eight franchises was selected to receive this prestigious annual award, which is bestowed upon someone who exemplifies the outstanding attitude, character and sportsmanship that is synonymous with Adam Keenan's legacy. Adam was a former Franklin Pierce University and UMass Lowell player who also played for the former Seacoast Mavericks. Click here for the full release on this year's recipients.
For the latest Futures League news and information throughout the year, visit thefuturesleague.com and follow the league’s Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram pages.
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