Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

St. Louis Cardinals name Wong and Petrick Minor League Player & Pitcher of the Year

Redbirds honor former 1st round pick & non-drafted college free agent

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., December 11, 2013 - The St. Louis Cardinals announced their 2013 Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year today, awarding second baseman Kolten Wong with Player of the Year honors and right-handed pitcher Zach Petrick as the organization's Pitcher of the Year. 

Wong, 23, played his entire minor league season at Triple-A Memphis before being purchased by St. Louis on August 16, and remained in the Major Leagues through the World Series.

The left-handed hitting Wong, was the Cardinals first round pick (22nd overall) out of the University of Hawaii in the 2011 June, First-Year Player Draft. He played in Quad Cities (Low-A) in 2011 and Springfield (AA) in 2012.

Wong batted .303 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI over 107 games in Memphis. He also ranked third among Cardinals minor leaguers with 20 stolen bases in 21 attempts and ran off a 20-game hitting streak in May batting .429 (30-70) during the streak with 10 multi-hit games. Wong appeared in 32 games in St. Louis, starting 18, while turning in a flawless fielding percentage in 65 total chances.

"Kolten's strong Triple-A performance led to his late season call up to the major leagues," said Cardinals Director of Player Development Gary LaRocque.   "His consistency everyday stands out. Offensively he again showed his bat was capable at the next level, handling Triple-A pitching well and bringing speed and defense to the lineup. It was another solid season for Kolten that earned him our Minor League Player of the Year for 2013."

Petrick, 24, was a non-drafted free agent out of the University of Northwestern Ohio in 2012.

The right-hander compiled a 7-3 record with a 1.99 ERA and eight saves covering 34 appearances and 13 starts, beginning at Peoria (Low-A), on to Palm Beach (High-A) and finishing the season in Springfield (AA). He posted brilliant earned run averages for both Peoria (0.83) and Palm Beach (0.27).

"Zach moved through Peoria and Palm Beach quickly, making the jump to a starting role at Springfield and showing production at all three levels," said LaRocque. "He earned the starting role after strong relief work in the Midwest League followed by an outstanding performance in the Florida State League. Once in Double-A, after nine starts, he established himself for the season as our Minor League Pitcher of the year for 2013."

Read More: St. Louis Cardinals