By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The awards and honors keep coming for OF Tyler O’Neill.

Already O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) has been feted ...

_ Being brought into Safeco Field to be honored as the organization’s Ken Griffey Minor League Hitter of the Year after his successful year at double-A Jackson.

_ Tabbed as MVP honor of the Southern League.

_ Elected to the league’s end-of-season all-star team.

_ Capped his summer by hitting .429 with three RBIs in Jackson’s three-game sweep of Mississippi to earn MVP finals accolades.

And now, the former Langley Blaze who played for Doug Mathieson and Jamie Bodolay, a repeat winner on the 11th annual Perfect Game’s Minor League All-Star team comprised of players that had previously attended a Perfect Game event.

In his first Double-A season, the Mariners’ No. 2 prospect, had a league-leading 102 RBIs in 130 games to The 21-year-old native of British Columbia also led Southern Leaguers with a .508 slugging percentage and .882 OPS, ending the season as MLB.com’s No. 60 overall prospect.

The list of past big-league illumines include Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Rizzo, Mookie Betts, Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Joey Votto, Gerrit Cole and Jose Fernandez.

11th annual Perfect Game’s Minor League All-Star team
(Comprised of players that previously attended a PG event)
(* Denotes repeat winner)

Starting Lineup
Scott Heineman, LF (Rangers)

David Dahl*, CF (Rockies)

Alex Bregman*, SS (Astros)

Tyler O’Neill, RF (Mariners)
O’Neill has claimed a starting spot on the First Team for a second year in a row, as he has added 24 more home runs to the 32 he blasted a year ago while answering some questions about his overall prowess as a hitter by raising his batting average (.293 as compared to .260 in 2015) and increasing his walks as well (62 to 29). He did so this year playing in the hitting suppressed Southern League at the Double-A level, and at 21 years old appears to be poised to make quick work of all of minor league baseball before making his Major League debut, which could happen towards the end of the 2017 season.

Rhys Hoskins, 1B (Phillies)

Rowdy Tellez*, DH (Blue Jays)
Speaking of hulking sluggers, they don’t get much bigger than 2012 PG All-American Rowdy Tellez. Entering the year with 22 career home runs over three years as a professional, Tellez added 23 more bombs this year while hitting .297/.387/.530 at the Blue Jays Double-A affiliate in New Hampshire as a 21-year old. Next year he will be just a step away from complementing an already potent Toronto offense.

Rob Segedin, 3B (Dodgers)
Travis Demeritte*, 2B (Braves)
Chance Sisco, C (Orioles)

Second team:
(Jays and ex-Jays)
C – Max Pentecost (Blue Jays)

Pitching Staff
Chase De Jong, RHP (Dodgers)
De Jong, a member of the SGV Arsenal travel program while in high school, was ranked 53rd overall in the high school class of 2012 prior to being drafted by the Blue Jays in the second round of that year’s draft. He attended the 2011 National Showcase, peaking at 91 mph but showing considerable future strength gains given his projectable 6-foot-5, 190-pound build. Now a member of the Dodgers organization, De Jong has progressed nicely with a career 3.43 ERA in the minor leagues and is now knocking at the door to the big leagues after going 15-5 with a 2.82 ERA between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Staff 2:
Sean Reid-Foley*, RHP (Blue Jays)

Staff 3:
Jon Harris, RHP (Blue Jays)

O'Neill, Tellez earn PG first team honors