MyNorthwest.com staff

Tacoma Rainiers pitcher Michael Pineda is one of five finalists for the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year award.

The 21-year-old right hander is a combined 11-4 with a 3.05 ERA in 24 starts this year in Double-A West Tennessee and Triple-A Tacoma. He has struck out 149 batters in 135.2 innings.

Also in consideration for the award are Domonic Brown, an outfielder in the Phillies organization, first baseman Freddie Freeman (Braves), pitcher Jeremy Hellickson (Rays), and third baseman Mike Moustakas (Royals). You can vote for the winner on the USA Today's website.

Braves outfielder Jason Heyward won the award last year. Should Pineda win this year, he would join Tino Martinez (1990) as the only Mariners prospects to receive the honor.

Pineda figures to be in the Mariners rotation in 2011 and could be called up this season when rosters expand in September.

A native of the Dominican Republic, he was signed by the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent in 2005.