Royals Name 2011 Minor League Pitcher, Player Of The Year

KANSAS CITY, MO (September 4, 2011) – The Kansas City Royals have named right-handed pitcher Kelvin Herrera the 2011 Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year and second baseman Johnny Giavotella the 2011 George Brett Hitter of the Year.

On Tuesday, the Royals named the pitchers and players of the year from all eight minor league affiliates. A majority of those players are expected to be at Kauffman Stadium for Futures Night on Friday, September 16, where they will take part in an autograph session at Gate A from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., as well as be honored in an on-field presentation prior to the Royals game against the White Sox.

PAUL SPLITTORFF PITCHER OF THE YEAR

21-year-old Kelvin Herrera has rocketed through the system this season by posting dominant numbers out of the bullpen that earned him a spot on the World squad in the XM Futures All-Star Game. Herrera has combined to go 7-1 with 14 saves and a 1.64 ERA in 44 relief appearances for Wilmington (A Advanced), Northwest Arkansas (AA) and Omaha (AAA). In 65.2 innings, he has allowed just 12 earned runs on 42 hits and 14 walks, striking out 70 and allowing opponents to bat just .181. Born and raised in Tenares, Dominican Republic, Herrera signed with the Royals as a non-drafted free agent on December 13, 2006.

GEORGE BRETT HITTER OF THE YEAR

Johnny Giavotella, 24, was hitting .338 with a minor league-leading 153 hits for Triple-A Omaha at the time of his call-up to the Royals on August 5. The second baseman had 34 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 72 RBI and 67 runs scored in 110 games for the Storm Chasers. Giavotella was a starter on the Pacific Coast League All-Star team as well as a part of the 12-member All-PCL Team. The University of New Orleans alum was the Royals’ second-round selection in the 2008 Draft.