The Albuquerque Isotopes announced their 2025 end-of-season player awards during a ceremony before Sunday’s game against Reno. The recipients were mostly chosen by a vote among teammates.
Outfielder Sam Hilliard was named Most Valuable Player after posting a .289 batting average with 25 doubles, 12 triples, 17 home runs, and 15 stolen bases across 90 games. He drove in 66 runs and became the eighth Triple-A player since 2005 to reach at least 25 doubles, 10 triples, 15 homers, and 15 steals in one season. Hilliard led the Pacific Coast League in triples and ranked high in several offensive categories including slugging percentage and OPS.
On April 25 in Reno, Hilliard set the record for most career home runs by an Albuquerque professional baseball player with his 80th homer. Over his Isotopes career, he has hit a total of 93 home runs. He also ranks among franchise leaders in triples (first), at-bats (second), games played (second), runs scored (second), doubles (second), RBIs (second), hits (third), and stolen bases (fourth).
Hilliard was also selected as Fan Favorite by Isotopes fans. He is now the eighth player to win both MVP and Fan Favorite awards in the same year; catcher Willie MacIver last achieved this feat in 2024.
Infielder Keston Hiura earned Power Hitter of the Year honors. In his season spanning 100 games, Hiura hit .272 with a .507 slugging percentage, tallying 21 doubles, three triples, and matching his double count with home runs while driving in 67 runs. On May 25 at Reno, Hiura became just the second Isotope to hit two home runs in one inning. He had three multi-homer games this year—the team’s single-season record for such performances is at least three—and recorded seven home runs that traveled more than 440 feet including a season-best shot of 479 feet. From May through early July, he reached base safely over a stretch of 31 consecutive games—one of the longest streaks in the league this year.
Pitcher Connor Van Scoyoc received Pitcher of the Year honors after making forty relief appearances with a season ERA of 4.29 over eighty-four innings pitched along with forty-six strikeouts and leading the team with eight wins. Since August he posted an ERA of just over one run per nine innings—the fourth-lowest mark among Triple-A relievers who appeared in at least twelve games during that period.
Aaron Schunk was named Defensive Player of the Year for his versatility around the field; he played mainly third base but also saw time at shortstop and second base while committing only eleven errors on over two hundred fifty chances for a .956 fielding percentage.
Braiden Ward won Mr. Hustle after stealing thirty-three bases across just forty-three games—a figure that places him fourth on Albuquerque’s single-season list for steals and makes him only the tenth Isotope to reach thirty or more steals in one campaign.
The Jennifer Riordan Most-Community Minded Person award went to pitcher Lucas Gilbreath and infielder Aaron Schunk for their service to local causes; Community Relations Manager Brandon Ortega selected them for their contributions off the field.
