2020 Kevin Mitchell Award winner: Christian Yelich

Christian Yelich secured a triple crown of sorts in 2020, leading the league in batting, on-base percentage and slugging, along with a number of other categories. The offensive explosion in his seventh DMBL season was enough to win the 2020 Kevin Mitchell Award as the league's top batter, comfortably outdistancing teammate Cody Bellinger.

2020 Kevin Mitchell Award candidates

Is a big hitting CF or SS more valuable than a power-hitting 1B? Does a DH who doesn't usually even play the field warrant as much consideration? It's an age-old question, as is just what "valuable" means. And in a season with home runs flying out of ballparks -- does it matter?

Tucson 1-hits Hopatcong to clinch 2nd crown

Tucson limited the highest-scoring offense in the league to just a 1st-inning single and shut out Hopatcong, 7-0, in Game 5 on Thursday in Hopatcong to win their second DMBL championship in three seasons.

Tucson blitzes Hopatcong 10-2

Brett Gardner led off Game 2 with a home run and that's the kind of night it was going to be for Tucson.

After 14 innings, Tucson wins Game 6, takes series

Marcell Ozuna came up with another big postseason hit for Tucson, driving in Brett Gardner in the bottom of the 14th inning to give the King Snakes a 2-1 walk-off victory in Game 6 and clinching the series against Sardine City, 4-2.

Tucson wins third straight for 3-2 series lead

Tucson got another big out from their starting pitcher as Robbie Ray held Sardine City to one run over 7 innings, helping the King Snakes to their third straight win in the series, 4-2 in Game 5 at Sardine City on Saturday night.

Roark, Zunino help Tucson tie series at 2-2

Tanner Roark scattered 4 hits and 1 run over 8 innings and the Tucson offense took care of the rest, cruising to an 8-1 win over Sardine City in Game 4 on Thursday night.

Tucson breaks through behind Scherzer

Max Scherzer helped Tucson to its first win of the semifinal series versus Sardine City, striking out 11 in 6 innings as the bullpen held on for a 5-4 win in Game 3 on Wednesday night.

Scherzer silences Marietta to take Game 5

Max Scherzer struck out 11 over 7 innings and Marcell Ozuna slammed a first-inning homer and drove in three runs to lift Tucson past Marietta 5-3 at home in Game 5 on Thursday night, taking the 1st round series, 3-2.

Tucson puts down Arkansas to clinch

In a rematch of the 2015 DMBL Series, the result went another way for lower stakes as Tucson obliterated Arkansas, 10-0, in a play-in game on Tuesday night to clinch the Clemente Division and the No. 4 seed in the postseason after both teams finished the regular season tied (89-74).

Gardner spoils SF's bid for third no-hitter

On a night when three games ended in 1-0 shutouts and another looked like a high-scoring football game, San Francisco came within two outs of becoming the first franchise to throw three no-hitters in its history.

Tomlin Tosses No-Hitter For Hopatcong

In a year of many firsts for the Hopatcong franchise, Josh Tomlin threw the first no-hitter in Floating Fish history Tuesday night, downing Livingston 5-0 in the midst of a heated pennant race. It was the second no-hitter in the league this season and the 11th in league history. Just last month, Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Motte combined to fire Sardine City's first no-hitter.

The Floating Fish gave Tomlin some breathing room with single runs in each of the first three innings and Tomlin ended up facing the minimum 27 batters. He walked Jimmy Rollins leading off the fourth but B.J. Upton promptly grounded to second for a double play. Tomlin's only other blemish, another leadoff walk, this time to Danny Espinosa in the 6th, also was erased via the twin killing, when Justin Smoak grounded to second to end the inning, after Jonathan LuCroy reached on a fielder's choice. Smoak later flied out to left to end the game.

Adding to the excitement, Brett Gardner pulled off a rare steal of home in the 6th inning, with Chase Headley taking second base, and the Floating Fish faithful packing The Mud Hole were on their feet the rest of the way. While Hopatcong improved to a franchise-record 87-71, remaining a game ahead of Newark in the Kruk Division, the first-year Livingston Last Place dropped to 47-111, long ago clinching the most balls in the draft lottery.

Tomlin struck out 5 and walked 2, improving to 16-7 and lowered his ERA to an even 3.00, and WHIP to 1.04 (both categories are second in the league trailing only Justin Verlander). He's been among the Floating Fish's most consistent pitchers all season, leading the squad with 16 wins and 5 complete games, including 2 shutouts. Perhaps it was the all-star snub that fueled Tomlin's fire all season. Despite a 9-3 and a 2.80 ERA at the break, as well as being among the league leaders in QS%, R/9 and OPS, Tomlin wasn't selected though he did receive votes.

The 27-year-old righthander was taken by Hopatcong with the 3rd pick of the 5th rounder (67th overall) this year. Last season, he made 28 starts for Newark, after the Sugar Bears used a supplemental 7th round pick (77th overall) on him. He finished 2011 with a respectable 1.14 WHIP and 4.08 ERA but a not-so-respectable 6-15 record for a Newark team that lost a franchise-record 113 games.