EASTLAKE, Ohio – On Thursday, Sept. 3, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) announced that Lake County Captains RHP Jacob Zibin has been named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Month for the month of August.
Zibin had a remarkable month on the mound for Lake County. The 21-year-old made five starts for the Captains last month, leading qualified MiLB pitchers with a 0.64 ERA (two earned runs allowed in 28 innings pitched). He was one of just two Midwest League arms to record three quality starts in August (also Lansing RHP Samuel Dutton) and ranked second among qualified Midwest League pitchers in both WHIP (0.75) and opposing batting average (.132). Zibin went 2-0 with 24 strikeouts to just nine walks in his five August starts.
Zibin logged at least five innings pitched and did not allow more than one earned run in each of his five starts this past month, including three quality starts in his first four outings in August. He logged arguably the best start of his pro career on Aug. 22 at Wisconsin, throwing seven strikeouts without a walk and surrendering just two hits in six shutout innings of work.
Zibin was selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of TNXL Academy (FL), and was the youngest player in that year’s draft. The Mile House, BC, Canada native has made 11 starts for the Captains since being promoted from the Single-A Hill City Howlers on June 23, going 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA, 59 strikeouts to just 21 walks, a 1.06 WHIP, and a .192 opposing batting average in 55.2 innings pitched. On Tuesday, July 7 versus Lansing, he recorded an immaculate fourth inning by striking out the side in order in just nine pitches (all strikes). This marked Lake County's first immaculate inning since LHP Juan Hillman on July 14, 2018 at Cedar Rapids (second inning).
Zibin is the third Captains player to receive Midwest League Pitcher/Player of the Month honors this season, joining INF Luke Hill (Player of the Month, May) and RHP Braylon Doughty (Pitcher of the Month, June).
The Captains will have a variety of exciting promotions in store for the upcoming weekend versus the Great Lakes Loons.
On Friday, Sept. 4, the Captains will celebrate Cleveland Sports History Night, featuring 10-cent beer. It will also be Nurses Appreciation Night presented by Coca-Cola.
Then, on Saturday, Sept. 5, Lake County will host 9 Innings of Winnings Night with a postgame fireworks show at the ballpark, where the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Skipper Cavs Bobblehead presented by Consumer Tire. The festivities will also feature a pregame first pitch from former Cleveland Cavaliers star Daniel Gibson.
Finally, on Sunday, Sept. 6, the Captains will celebrate Fan Appreciation Day at the ballpark. It will also be Family Fun Sunday presented by Classic Auto Group, which will feature pregame catch on the field and player autographs on the concourse, plus postgame kids run the bases presented by Akron Children’s Hospital.
The remainder of the series will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App, the MiLB App, MLB+, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram. For tickets, fans can visit MiLB.com/lake-county/tickets.
About the Lake County Captains:
The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.