August 7, 2019
By Evan Lepler
While the most important AUDL award involves a big trophy and an unquantifiable championship prestige that can only be garnered as a team, the individual playmakers around the league also merit recognition. While MVP and All-AUDL honors will be announced in the coming weeks, the parade of individual honors starts now with some superlatives from the 2019 season.
During my seven years working in minor league baseball, I would always eagerly anticipate the results of Baseball America’s annual “Tools Survey.” Each season, the national publication would poll all of the minor league managers on the best players in various categories. This would lead to some fascinating observations about who had the best specifically-honed skills throughout the minors, and it showcased certain players for their greatest strengths.
Two years ago, prior to 2017 Championship Weekend, we published the first AUDL Tools Survey. In 2018, the gimmick returned. Today, it’s back again!
Over the past couple weeks, I have compiled the submissions of the majority of AUDL coaches to figure out the toolsiest players in each division. Since there’s only minimal cross-division exposure throughout the season, coaches were asked to share their opinions about their division exclusively. To encourage candor, anonymity was guaranteed.
EAST
- Best Handler: Nate Prior, DC Breeze - Example
- Best Hucks: Kevin Quinlan, Montreal Royal - Example
- Best Breaks: Thomson McKnight, Toronto Rush - Example
- Best Cutter: Rowan McDonnell, DC Breeze - Example
- Best Deep Cutter: Quentin Bonnaud, Montreal Royal - Example
- Best Underneath Cutter: Grant Lindsley, New York Empire - Example
- Best In The Air: Ben Jagt, New York Empire - Example
- Best Flick: Harper Garvey, New York Empire - Example
- Best Backhand: Cam Harris, Toronto Rush - Example
- Best Scoober: Rowan McDonnell, DC Breeze - Example
- Best Hammer: Harper Garvey, New York Empire - Example
- Best Decision Maker: Ben Katz, New York Empire - Example
- Best Handler Defender: Bretton Tan, Toronto Rush - Example
- Best Cutter Defender: Jeff Babbitt, New York Empire - Example
- Best Zone Defender: Jeff Babbitt, New York Empire - Example
- Best Speed: Andrew Carroll, Toronto Rush - Example
- Best Quickness: Bretton Tan, Toronto Rush - Example
- Best Buzzer-Beater Athlete: Jeff Babbitt, New York Empire - Example
- Best Pulls: Marques Brownlee, New York Empire
- Most Underrated: Mike Arcata, Philadelphia Phoenix - Example
MIDWEST
- Best Handler: Pawel Janas, Chicago Wildfire - Example
- Best Hucks: Josh Klane, Minnesota Wind Chill - Example
- Best Breaks: Thomas Edmonds, Pittsburgh Thunderbirds - Example
- Best Cutter: Max Sheppard, Pittsburgh Thunderbirds - Example
- Best Deep Cutter: Matt Rehder, Chicago Wildfire - Example
- Best Underneath Cutter: Keegan North, Indianapolis AlleyCats - Example
- Best In The Air: Matt Rehder, Chicago Wildfire - Example
- Best Flick: Pawel Janas, Chicago Wildfire - Example
- Best Backhand: Sam VanDusen, Pittsburgh Thunderbirds - Example
- Best Scoober: Brett Matzuka, Indianapolis AlleyCats
- Best Hammer: Max Sheppard, Pittburgh Thunderbirds - Example
- Best Decision Maker: Jon Mast, Pittsburgh Thunderbirds - Example
- Best Handler Defender: Thomas Coolidge, Madison Radicals
- Best Cutter Defender: Sterling Knoche, Madison Radicals - Example
- Best Zone Defender: Kevin Pettit-Scantling, Madison Radicals - Example
- Best Speed: Max Sheppard, Pittsburgh Thunderbirds - Example
- Best Quickness: Ross Barker, Chicago Wildfire - Example
- Best Buzzer-Beater Athlete: Jimmy Kittlesen, Minnesota Wind Chill - Example
- Best Pulls: Sam VanDusen, Pittsburgh Thunderbirds
- Most Underrated: Ross Barker, Chicago Wildfire - Example
SOUTH
- Best Handler: Andrew Roney, Tampa Bay Cannons - Example
- Best Hucks: Abe Coffin, Dallas Roughnecks - Example
- Best Breaks: Jeff Loskorn, Austin Sol - Example
- Best Cutter: Jacob Fairfax, Raleigh Flyers - Example
- Best Deep Cutter: Henry Fisher, Raleigh Flyers - Example
- Best Underneath Cutter: Abe Coffin, Dallas Roughnecks - Example
- Best In The Air: Terrence Mitchell, Raleigh Flyers - Example
- Best Flick: Andrew Roney, Tampa Bay Cannons - Example
- Best Backhand: Abe Coffin, Dallas Roughnecks - Example
- Best Scoober: Matt Bennett, Austin Sol - Example
- Best Hammer: Andrew Roney, Tampa Bay Cannons - Example
- Best Decision Maker: Jeff Loskorn, Austin Sol - Example
- Best Handler Defender: Kaplan Maurer, Dallas Roughnecks - Example
- Best Cutter Defender: Zach Marbach, Dallas Roughnecks - Example
- Best Zone Defender: Kelvin Williams, Atlanta Hustle - Example
- Best Speed: Henry Fisher, Raleigh Flyers - Example
- Best Quickness: Matt Smith, Atlanta Hustle - Example
- Best Buzzer-Beater Athlete: Jay Froude, Dallas Roughnecks - Example
- Best Pulls: Dustin Travaglini, Tampa Bay Cannons
- Most Underrated: Thomas Slack, Dallas Roughnecks - Example
WEST
- Best Handler: Mark Burton, Seattle Cascades - Example
- Best Hucks: Mark Burton, Seattle Cascades - Example
- Best Breaks: Aaron Weaver, Los Angeles Aviators
- Best Cutter: Travis Dunn, San Diego Growlers - Example
- Best Deep Cutter: Sean Ham, San Diego Growlers - Example
- Best Underneath Cutter: Sean McDougall, Los Angeles Aviators - Example
- Best In The Air: Joc Jimenez, Los Angeles Aviators - Example
- Best Flick: Tim Beatty, Los Angeles Aviators
- Best Backhand: Tyler Bacon, Los Angeles Aviators - Example
- Best Scoober: Goose Helton, San Diego Growlers - Example
- Best Hammer: Justin Norden, San Jose Spiders - Example
- Best Decision Maker: Justin Norden, San Jose Spiders - Example
- Best Handler Defender: Max Hume, San Diego Growlers - Example
- Best Cutter Defender: Scott Radlauer, San Diego Growlers - Example
- Best Zone Defender: Jeff Silverman, Los Angeles Aviators - Example
- Best Speed: Antoine Davis, San Jose Spiders - Example
- Best Quickness: Tyler Bacon, Los Angeles Aviators - Example
- Best Buzzer-Beater Athlete: Trevor Purdy, San Diego Growlers - Example
- Best Pulls: Eric Lissner, Los Angeles Aviators
- Most Underrated: Marcel Osborne, San Diego Growlers - Example
