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Wil Myers wins Spink Award as Topps/Minor League Player of the Year

KANSAS CITY, MO (October 23, 2012) – Royals prospect Wil Myers was announced today as the 53rd annual J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner as the Topps/Minor League Player of the Year.  Myers becomes the third Royal to win the Spink Award, joining Johnny Damon (1995) and Alex Gordon (2006).

“I am honored to win this prestigious award from Topps and Minor League Baseball,” Wil Myers said.  “To join a list with great players such as Johnny Damon and Alex Gordon is extremely humbling for me.”

This is the third national award for the 21-year old outfielder, who was named Minor League Player of the Year by both Baseball America and USA TODAY on September 4.  He is the third player to earn all three honors in the same season, joining Andruw Jones (1996) and Josh Beckett (2001).  Recent Spink winners include Tampa Bay Rays left-handed pitcher Matt Moore (2011); Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (2010); and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (2009).

Myers, 21, opened the 2012 campaign at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and batted .343 with 13 home runs and 30 RBI in 35 games before a promotion to Omaha in mid-May.  Myers hit .304 (118-for-388) with 15 doubles, five triples, 24 home runs and 79 RBI in 99 regular season games with the Storm Chasers.  Overall, his 37 home runs were the second-most in minor league baseball, one shy of 26-year-old Darin Ruf who hit 38 for Reading (AA), while his 109 RBI ranked fourth overall and his 313 total bases led all minor leaguers. 

The Royals’ third round selection in 2009 collected two hits and drove in three runs for the U.S. squad at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Kansas City on July 8 and then three days later was selected the “Star of Stars” for the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A All-Star Game after recording two hits, including a double, with an RBI and a run scored. He was named to the 12-member all Pacific Coast League squad on August 27.

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