Friday, February 25, 2011

Nunez & Phelps Named Yankees Minor League Player & Pitcher of the Year

Here's the press release from the Yanks:
The New York Yankees today announced that infielder Eduardo Nunez and right-handed pitcher David Phelps were named winners of the Yankees' 2010 Kevin Lawn Award as the Yankees' minor league "Player of the Year" and "Pitcher of the Year," respectively. The two players will receive their awards prior to the Yankees-Blue Jays game on March 19 at George M. Steinbrenner Field, scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m.

The annual awards are dedicated to Kevin O'Brien Lawn – the son of longtime Yankees Vice President and Chief of Operations Jack Lawn – who passed away in 1999.

Nunez, 23, batted .289 (134-for-464) with 55 runs, 25 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 50 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 118 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2010, earning a spot on the midseason and postseason International League All-Star rosters. He led all Scranton/WB batters in hits and stolen bases, ranked second in doubles and recorded the third-highest average among all Yankees farmhands. Nunez was promoted to the Major League level on August 19, where he hit .280 (14-for-50) with 12 runs, one home run and seven RBI in 30 games. Following the season, he was named by Baseball America as the eighth-best prospect, the "Best Defensive Infielder" and possessing the "Best Infield Arm" in the Yankees organization.

Phelps, 24, combined to go 10-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 26 games (25 starts) with Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2010. He began the season with Trenton and went 6-0 with a 2.04 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 14 starts before being promoted to Scranton/WB on July 2. At the time of his promotion, he led the Eastern League in strikeouts and ranked second in ERA, earning EL midseason All-Star honors. With Scranton/WB, Phelps went 4-2 with a 3.07 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). Following the season, the Missouri native was tabbed by Baseball America as having the "Best Slider" in the Yankees organization.
Here are the last five winners of each award:

YearPlayer of the YearPitcher of the Year
2010SS Eduardo Nunez RHP David Phelps
2009C Austin Romine RHP Zach McAllister
2008OF Brett Gardner LHP Phil Coke
2007OF Austin Jackson RHP Ian Kennedy
20061B Cody Ehlers RHP Phil Hughes

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