Royals Minor League pitcher Kyle Smith named to Carolina League All-Star team

The Carolina League announced today that Wilmington Blue Rocks' right-handed pitcher Kyle Smith has been named to the league's All-Star squad for the annual Carolina-California League All-Star Game. The game, which pits the best players from the Carolina and California Leagues against each other, is set for June 18 at 9:35 p.m. CT at Municipal Stadium in San Jose, Calif. The Blue Rocks are a High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

Smith, a fourth-round selection by the Royals in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, is 4-1 this season with a 1.92 ERA in 11 starts. He has walked 19 and fanned 62 in 61.0 innings, while holding opponents to a .217 batting average. Smith took a no-decision Tuesday night, despite allowing just one run on four hits over 7.0 innings in a 3-1 Blue Rocks win over Carolina. He went 4-0 in the month of May with a 1.82 ERA in six starts. The 6-foot righty went 5-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 2012, splitting the year between Idaho Falls and Kane County.

The All-Star honor is the first for Smith at any level of professional baseball.