Four Greensboro Grasshoppers Receive Honors

The Greensboro Grasshoppers employed the league’s top pitcher and top player as Quinn Priester was named the High-A East League Pitcher-of-the-Year and Matt Fraizer was announced as the league’s MVP.

Priester spent the entire season with Greensboro and made 20 starts for the Grasshoppers. The 2019 first-round picked showed his potential, going 7-4 with a 3.04 ERA in 97.2 innings on the year. He struck out 98 batters and seemed to get better as the season went on. Priester is regarded as the Pirates’ top pitching prospect.

Fraizer, also a member of the 2019 draft class – drafted in the third round, enjoyed a breakout season. He was named MVP despite playing just 74 games for Greensboro thanks to a promotion to Double-A Altoona in August. Fraizer slashed .314/.401/.578 on the year with Greensboro. He had 37 extra-base hits, including 20 home runs, and swiped 14 bags for the Grasshoppers.

Those two weren’t the only ones to receive recognition as infielders Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo were named to the league’s postseason All-Star team. The efforts from both Gonzales and Triolo helped the Grasshoppers reach the champion series, where Greensboro fell to Bowling Green in the winner-take-all games five.

Greensboro finished the year with a record of 74-46, good for second in the High-A East – South division.