Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year Award

Pacific Coast League
Pitcher of the Year Award
SportBaseball
LeaguePacific Coast League
Awarded forBest regular-season pitcher in the Pacific Coast League
CountryUnited States
Canada
Presented byPacific Coast League
History
First awardLeo Kiely (1957)
Most winsCharlie Hough (2)
Most recentJack Leiter (2024)

The Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year Award is an annual award given to the best pitcher in Minor League Baseball's Pacific Coast League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers.[1] Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, and members of the media have previously voted as well.[2] Though the league was established in 1903,[3] the award was not created until 1957.[4] It was issued sporadically through 1974 before being discontinued from 1975 to 2000.[4] After the cancellation of the 2020 season,[5] the league was known as the Triple-A West in 2021 before reverting to the Pacific Coast League name in 2022.[6][7]

From 1927 to 2000, pitchers were eligible to win the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP). Eleven pitchers won the MVP Award: Bobo Newsom (1933), Willie Ludolph (1936), Fred Hutchinson (1938), Yank Terry (1941), Bob Joyce (1945), Johnny Lindell (1952), Dick Hall (1959), Dennis Lewallyn (1980), Mike Campbell (1987), Donne Wall (1995), and Steve Mintz (1996).[4] Five pitchers have also won the league's Top MLB Prospect Award (formerly the Rookie of the Year Award): George O'Donnell (1953), Lino Donoso (1954), Bob Garber (1955), Bob Anderson (1956), and Félix Hernández (2005). Hernández is the only pitcher to win both awards in the same season.[4] Charlie Hough, the winner in 1970 and 1972, is the only pitcher to win the award on multiple occasions.

Five pitchers from the Tacoma Rainiers have been selected for the Pitcher of the Year Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Round Rock Express (4); the Nashville Sounds and Oklahoma City Dodgers (3); the Albuquerque Dukes, Iowa Cubs, and Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2); and the Albuquerque Isotopes, Denver Bears, Edmonton Trappers, Fresno Grizzlies, Hawaii Islanders, Memphis Redbirds, New Orleans Zephyrs, Omaha Storm Chasers, Phoenix Giants, Sacramento River Cats, Salt Lake Bees, San Francisco Seals, Spokane Indians, and Vancouver Mounties (1).

Seven players from the Houston Astros Major League Baseball (MLB) organization have won the award, more than any other, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization (5); the Chicago Cubs organization (4); the Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers organizations (3); the Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, and Seattle Mariners organizations (2); and the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washington Nationals organizations (1).

  1. ^ "Triple-A Award Winners and All-Stars". Minor League Baseball. November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  2. ^ Jackson, Josh (October 5, 2021). "Here are the 2021 Triple-A All-Stars". Major League Baseball. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  3. ^ Avallone, Michael (March 18, 2022). "Then and Now: Pacific Coast League". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "Pacific Coast League Award Winners". Pacific Coast League. Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  6. ^ Reichard, Kevin (February 12, 2021). "Minor League Baseball Overhaul Unveiled". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  7. ^ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.