Article:Baseball America names Orioles catching Prospect Matt Wieters 2008 Minor League Player of the Year

Baseball America today named Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Matt Wieters its 2008 Minor League Player of the Year. Wieters, a switch-hitter, joins Mark Teixeira (2000) as Georgia Tech players so honored. The Orioles first round pick in the 2007 draft, the 6'5" 230 pound Wieters split the season between Class A Frederick and Double A Bowie, hitting a combined .355/27/91 in 130 games. Perhaps the most impressive stat turned in by Wieters was the 82/76 walk to strikeout ratio, outstanding for any hitter, much less a hitter in his first full professional season. He turned in a ridiculous .454 on base percentage and had an OPS over 1.000 in both leagues.

The Orioles were especially impressed with his defense, especially game-calling, which he did not do in college. Orioles minor league catching instructor Don Werner a former major leaguer who caught Hall of Famer Tom Seaver's 1978 no-hitter with the Reds, says of Wieters, "he acts like he's been in the majors for ten years, he has a great feel for calling a game."

Wieters has been assigned to the Arizona Fall League where he will play for the Surprise Rafters.