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Atlanta Braves Present Awards To Prospects J.R. Graham, Todd Cunningham

On Thursday, the Atlanta Braves handed out their minor league player of the year of awards.

By Bryan Crawford
Aug 18, 2012; Papillion, NE, USA; A general view of Werner Park before the game between the Nashville Sounds and Omaha Storm Chasers. Mandatory Credit: Matt Ryerson-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 18, 2012; Papillion, NE, USA; A general view of Werner Park before the game between the Nashville Sounds and Omaha Storm Chasers. Mandatory Credit: Matt Ryerson-US PRESSWIRE

Each year around this time, all 30 Major League Baseball teams announce their minor league player of the year awards. On Thursday, the Atlanta Braves awarded prospect J.R. Graham their Pitcher of the Year award, and made Todd Cunningham their Player of the Year.

Graham, a right-hander, finished the year with a 12-2 record. He pitched between Atlanta's Double-A affiliate, the Mississippi Braves of the Southern League and the High-A, Lynchburg Hillcats of the Carolina League.

With the Mississippi Braves, Graham had a 9-1 record and a 2.63 ERA. With Lynchburg, his record was 3-1 with an ERA of 3.18. On the year, the 22-year-old finished with a 2.80 ERA between the two leagues.

Cunningham played exclusively for the Mississippi Braves. The switch-hitting outfielder finished his Southern League campaign with a .309 batting average in 466 plate appearances. The 23-year-old also finished with an on-base percentage of .364 and a slugging percentage of .403.

Graham could potentially make his MLB debut in 2014, while Cunningham could make the roster in Spring Training next year as an option in center field, should Michael Bourn decide to leave.

For more on the Atlanta Braves, be sure to check out Talking Chop and Baseball Nation.

Photographs by coka_koehler used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.