The Eastern League playoffs will not begin until next week, but the Portland Sea Dogs are already collecting trophies.
The league announced Thursday that Portland’s Billy McMillon was named the league’s Manager of the Year, and that lefty Henry Owens is the Pitcher of the Year.
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The league also announced Erie SeaWolves outfielder Steven Moya as its MVP.
McMillon, in his first year as a Double-A manager, has guided the Sea Dogs to their first postseason berth since 2008.
With four games to go in the season, Portland is 85-53, one win from tying the best record in franchise history.
Owens, 22, began the season with a no-hitter in Reading, Pennsylvania, in a rain-shortened six inning-game. He went on to post a 14-4 record for Portland with a 2.60 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 121 innings.
The Red Sox promoted Owens to Triple-A Aug. 1. He is now 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA in Pawtucket.
Another Portland lefty, Brian Johnson (10-2, 1.75) was runner-up to Owens in the voting.
Owens became the second straight Sea Dogs pitcher to win the honor, and fourth overall. Anthony Ranaudo won it last season after going 8-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 19 starts with Portland. Ranaudo moved onto Triple-A and won the International League Pitcher of the Year award this season, with numbers mirroring Owens’ (14-4, 2.61).
The other two Sea Dogs to win Pitcher of the Year were Jon Lester (2005) and Michael Tejera (1999).
McMillon became the second Sea Dogs manager to be honored, following Carlos Tosca (1996).
McMillon, 42, actually played for Tosca in Portland, with the Sea Dogs in 1995. McMillon, then a Marlins prospects, went on to play parts of six major league seasons, with the Marlins, Phillies, Tigers and A’s. He also was in the Red Sox spring training camp in 2005 but did not make the club.
McMillon joined the Red Sox minor league staff as the low Class A Greenville Drive’ hitting coach from 2008-2010. He became Greenville’s manager in 2010, leading the Drive to the South Atlantic League championship series.
McMillon moved up to manage advanced Class A Salem in 2012. Last year, he managed Salem to the Carolina League championship.
Moya earned the MVP honors by batting .271 with 32 home runs and 102 RBI.
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