2023 Pat Listach Award winner: Spencer Strider

Almost a dozen rookies garnered support but in the end it was a runaway for the 2023 Pat Listach Award, honoring the DMBL's top rookie.

Hillsborough's Spencer Strider, the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick, easily won the award, securing 7 1st-place votes and appearing on 8 of the 9 ballots submitted among the DMBL's 20 owners. No other candidate appeared on more than 4 ballots.

The 25-year-old continues a storied history for Hillsborough, becoming the 5th Hit Man to take home the Listach Award, by far the most in DMBL, and the first since Pete Alonso won in 2020. It's the second year in a row that a starting pitcher was recognized (Tanner Houck, 2023) but only the third starter to win since 2011.

Hoboken OF Michael Harris finished 2nd with 7 votes on the strength of 2 2nd place votes and a 3rd place ballot. Three players tied for 3rd with 6 points, each getting to that total in a different fashion. Marietta 1ts rounder Joey Meneses earned 3 3rd place votes and a 2nd place vote. Adley Rutschman, dealt from Green Lake to Hoboken at the trade deadline, secured one of the other two 1st place votes to go with a 3rd place nod. Erie SP Edward Cabrera tallied 2 2nd place votes as the next pitcher in the results.

Voting on the Stach goes by a 5-3-1 points system, with 3 candidates on each ballot.

	PAT LISTACH AWARD	1st	2nd	3rd	PTS
1	Spencer Strider, HIL	7	1		38
2	Michael Harris II, HBK		2	1	7
3	Joey Meneses, MAR		1	3	6
-	Adley Rutschman, GL-HBK	1		1	6
-	Edward Cabrera, ERI		2		6
6	Oneil Cruz, BR	1			5
7	Kyle Wright, RCK		1	1	4
-	Julio Rodriguez, HPG		1	1	4
9	Steven Kwan, ERI		1		3
10	Oscar Gonzalez, RCK			1	1
-	Evan Phillips, SCS			1	1

Oneil Cruz of Blue Ridge received only 1 vote but it was a 1st place nod, garnering 5 points as the rookie HR leader finished 6th. Rockland SP Kyle Wright and Hopatcong's Julio Rodriguez matched each other for 7th with 4 points, each receiving 1 2nd place and 1 3rd place ballot. Erie OF Steven Kwan, another 1st rounder in 2023, received 1 2nd place vote to finish 9th with 3 points. Rounding out the field were OF Oscar Gonzalez of Rockland and Sardine City RP Evan Phillips who each got 1 3rd place vote.

Vote-getters were a mix of 2023 1st-round picks (3) and older draft picks (5) who were selected as ineligible prospects, going all the way back to 2020 in the case of Hopatcong's Rodriguez. The only  candidates who were not either 1st round picks or drafted as ineligible prospects were Phillips (2nd round, 2023) and Gonzalez (3rd round 2023).