With Crow and Hardin pitching well recently, and moving up the chain they seem like current front runners for minor league pitchers of the year (like Hunt and Yoho had a lot of buzz this time last year). Which begs the question of is this a good thing? I mean yes it is, but there is not a lot of great success from the recent Pitcher of Year (or co-pitchers) in the past few seasons.
In 2015 - 2017 there were three pitchers who had good success (even if Lopez was delayed and not with the Brew Crew
2015: Jorge Lopez
2016: Brandon Woodruff
2017: Corbin Burnes
Then in 2018 it was Zac Brown, who did not have an MLB career at all
2019 was Andy Ashby with mixed results in his mostly injured riddled career.
And 2020 none was awarded
But from 2021 on it has been given to pitchers whose subsequent seasons have not fared as well as hoped:
2021: Ethan Small - struggled in 2022 and eventually traded out of the organization. A bit more success than Zac Brown, but nowhere near what we would expect from a 1st rounder and Pitcher of the Year.
2022: Carlos Rodriguez - did well and was an award winner the next year.
2023: Carlos Rodriguez & Robert Gasser (co-pitchers of the year) - Carlos' MLB debut was less than encouraging (probably too early but injuries made him a call up) and Gasser got hurt last year after a very promising start.
2024: Craig Yoho & KC Hunt (co-pitchers of the year) - Yoho made his MLB debut but has had limited action and is trying to find his command and try to become the elite reliever he looked like last year, and Hunt has not been able to replicate his rise last year, and is still struggling with consistency in AA where he excelled late last year.
Maybe 2024 and on will start a trend like 2015 - 2017. But feels like a mini-"Madden" curse for the pitchers.
(FWIW - the hitters have mixed results with the obvious of Chourio winning in '22 along, and '23 with Black who has struggled, and '21 was Wiemer with a good season in '23, but the '24 awardees are holding their own this year, and will not name them because I'll blamed myself for jinxing them if I say anything )