9/21/26 : Paul Owens Awards

Phillies Press Release

McFARLANE AND RINCON NAMED 2026 PAUL OWENS AWARD WINNERS

          Right-handed pitcher Alex McFarlane and infielder Bryan Rincon were selected as the recipients of the 2026 Paul Owens Award, presented annually to the Phillies’ top minor league pitcher and player.

            The 25-year-old McFarlane, who was added to the Phillies 40-man roster on Nov. 18, 2025, went 1-1 with 12 saves, a 1.83 ERA (8 ER, 39.1 IP), 55 strikeouts and 20 walks across 36 relief appearances with double-A Reading (32) and triple-A Lehigh Valley (4) this year. In his minor league outings, he averaged 12.58 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched and struck out 34.4% (55-160) of batters faced. From the beginning of the season through his final game with the Fightin Phils on July 18, the right-hander ranked tied for first in saves (12), second in ERA (2.06), third in strikeout rate (32.9%), fifth in strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched (12.09) and eighth in WHIP (1.17) among Eastern League relievers to pitch at least 35.0 innings. He was named Phillies Minor League Co-Pitcher of the Month for May and Pitcher of the Month for July.

            In three stints with the Phillies this year, McFarlane has gone 4-1 with a 2.35 ERA (4 ER, 15.1 IP), 14 strikeouts and five walks while holding hitters to a .211 average (12-57) in 16 relief appearances. Among all major league rookies to face at least 60 batters since his debut on July 22 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he ranks tied for first in extra-base hits allowed (2), tied for fourth in wins and 10^th in opponent’s slugging percentage (.281) and opponent’s OPS (.555). From Aug. 18-28, the U.S. Virgin Islands native became the first Phillies pitcher since Mitch Williams in 1991 to win at least four games in an 11-day span. Per Statcast, McFarlane ranks in the 99^th percentile in fastball velocity (99.7 mph) this year, and his average velocity of 100.0 mph on his four-seam fastball ranks eighth among all pitchers since his first game (min. 50 four-seamers thrown). He was selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and was signed by Victor Gomez.

“Alex McFarlane is one of the hardest-working pitchers in our organization,” said Luke Murton, Phillies assistant general manager, hitting. “When you combine an arm like his with that type of work ethic, it was only a matter of time before he broke out. Alex has done a tremendous job improving the quality of both his fastball and slider while also throwing more strikes. His commitment to continuing to develop has quickly translated into success, which a lot of Philadelphia has already had the opportunity to appreciate.”

            Rincon, 22, played in 118 games for Reading this season, slashing .267/.410/.517 (.927 OPS) with 24 doubles, two triples, 26 home runs, 67 RBI, 95 walks, 30 stolen bases and 92 runs scored in 534 plate appearances. A non-roster invitee to Phillies spring training this year, he ranked first in the EL in walks, on-base percentage and OPS, tied for first in home runs, second in runs and slugging percentage, tied for third in extra-base hits (52), fourth in total bases (219), tied for eighth in doubles, 10^th in batting average and tied for 10^th in stolen bases and hits (113). Born in New York of Venezuelan descent, his two 26-game on-base streaks from May 19-July 1 and July 31-Aug. 30 were each tied for the fifth-longest streak in the EL. Rincon, a switch-hitter, was named Phillies Minor League Hitter of the Month for August and EL Player of the Week for the week of Aug. 17-23. Rincon entered the 2026 season as the best defensive infielder and as having the best infield arm in the Phillies minor league system, according to Baseball America. Ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the Phillies system and the No. 98 prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com, he was selected by the Phillies in the 14^th round of the 2022 MLB Draft and was signed by Jeff Zona Jr.

Added Murton: “Bryan Rincon is a rare combination of shortstop defense, on-base ability and slug. He has always been a steady defender, and this year we really saw him break out on the offensive side of the ball. There are very few players 22 or younger at the double-A level who have produced offensively the way Bryan has while also having the ability to defend shortstop at a high level. We’re extremely proud of the year he’s had, and we look forward to Phillies fans getting a taste of what we’ve been fortunate enough to see from Bryan as his career continues to unfold.”

            Instituted in 1986, the award is named for the late Paul Owens, who spent 48 years in the Phillies organization as a scout, farm director, general manager, manager and senior advisor. The players will receive their awards on the field on Thursday, Sept. 24, prior to the Phillies’ 6:05 p.m. game against the Milwaukee Brewers.