Royals announce Minors pitchers, hitters of year
Five of club's MLB.com Top 20 Prospects honored among affiliates
The Royals named their hitters and pitchers of the year for each of their Minor League affiliates on Thursday, with five of MLB.com's Top 20 Prospects earning honors.
Left-hander Chris Dwyer (No. 11) was named Omaha Pitcher of the Year after posting a 3.55 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 159 2/3 innings for the Storm Chasers, while infielder Christian Colon (No. 17) earned Hitter of the Year honors. Colon, 24, hit .273 with 12 home runs and 15 stolen bases.
Double-A Northwest Arkansas honors went to right-hander Aaron Brooks and first baseman Matt Fields. Brooks was 7-7 with a 4.15 ERA in 16 starts at Double-A, while Fields led the Texas League and all Royals Minors Leaguers with 31 homers.
Left-hander Sam Selman (No. 15) and outfielder Lane Adams were honored at Class A Advanced Wilmington. Selman went 11-9 with a 3.38 ERA in 27 starts this season after earning Idaho Falls Pitcher of the Year last year, while Adams hit .276 with seven homers, 39 RBIs and 23 stolen bases before being promoted to Double-A in July.
Class A Lexington's awards went to right-hander Christian Binford and shortstop Adalberto Mondesi (No. 4). Binford's 2.67 ERA ranked third in the South Atlantic League, while his 130 strikeouts were sixth. Mondesi, an 18-year-old switch-hitter, batted .261 with seven homers, 47 RBIs and 24 stolen bases.
Third baseman Hunter Dozier -- MLB.com's No. 7 prospect and the club's 2013 first-round Draft pick -- earned Hitter of the Year honors at Idaho Falls after hitting .303 with seven homers and 43 RBIs, while Patrick Conroy (6-2, 3.30 ERA) was named Pitcher of the Year.
The rest of the awards winners:
• Burlington: Right-hander Luis Santos (4-1, 2.25 ERA, .226 average against) and third baseman Mauricio Ramos (.322, 24 RBIs)
• Surprise: Right-hander Pedro Fernandez (.215 average against, 1.82 ERA) and first baseman/outfielder Samir Duenez (.294, 19 RBIs, 26 runs and 12 doubles).
• Dominican: Right-hander Yunior Marte (1.71 ERA in 11 games, eight starts) and infielder Angelo Castellano (.265, 25 RBIs, nine stolen bases).