Marlins announce Minor League award winners

MIAMI, FL - The Miami Marlins today named catcher J.T. Realmuto and left-handed pitcher Justin Nicolino as the organization's Player and Pitcher of the Year. The announcement was made by Marlins' Vice President of Player Development Marty Scott.

The batterymates were key contributors to Double-A Jacksonville's run to a Southern League Championship this season. The Suns won their final 10 games of the regular season to claim the Southern Division second-half title and qualify for the playoffs, where they went 6-1. It was the third SL Championship for Jacksonville since becoming a Marlins' affiliate in 2009 (also, 2009 & 2010).

Realmuto, taken by the Marlins in the third round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, made his Major League debut on June 5 this season, going 2x4 with three RBI at Tampa Bay. The 23-year-old from Midwest City, Oklahoma, who appeared in seven games with Miami before being optioned back to the Suns, batted .302 in 104 games with Jacksonville, with 29 doubles, six triples, eight home runs, 65 RBI and 18 stolen bases. That includes a hit in all seven playoff games, with a .346 average (9x26), four doubles and three RBI.

Nicolino, who was named the Southern League Pitcher of the Year earlier this month, went 16-4 with a 2.79 ERA (184.0 IP/57 ER) and two shutouts in 30 starts for the Suns this year. He earned a win in six of his last seven starts as Jacksonville made its push for the postseason, and averaged just 1.1 walk per 9.0 innings overall. The 22-year-old from Orlando, Florida, who was acquired by Miami from Toronto in 2012, also had 87 strikeouts, a 3.8 strikeout/walk ratio (87/23) and a 1.09 WHIP. He was 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA (13.2/3) in two postseason starts, shutting out Chattanooga over 6.2 innings in the Championship Series clinching victory on Friday night.