Mauro Gomez Named International League MVP

Mauro Gomez is in his first season in the Red Sox organization, after Boston signed him as a minor-league free agent in February. He's spent some time in the majors, and posted a 110 OPS+ there, but the 27-year-old has spent most of his year in Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League.

While with the PawSox, Gomez hit .310/.371/.589 in 100 games and 426 plate appearances, going deep 24 times. This was enough to earn him International League MVP honors, announced Tuesday morning by Minor League Baseball.

Gomez had 59 extra-base hits overall, improving on his first stint at the level that came while in the Braves organization in 2011. While Gomez was something of an afterthought given his late signing and then starting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez locked up for years, things are a little different now. Gomez isn't likely to be some future star, but there are plenty of scouts who like his bat a whole lot, and think that with a real chance in the majors he could turn into something productive. Boston has the hole in their lineup to give him that chance at present.

Congratulations to Mauro Gomez, who was released and became an MVP in less than a year's time.