PORTLAND, Maine -- The Eastern League of Professional Baseball is pleased to announce that New Hampshire Fisher Cats right-handed starting pitcher Kyle Drabek has been selected as the 2010 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year.

The 22-year old has been the ace of the Fisher Cats pitching staff while helping the team contend for their first postseason appearance since the 2004 season. Drabek has started 25 games for the Fisher Cats this season and has posted a record of 14-9 with 123 strikeouts and a 2.98 ERA over 154 innings pitched. The Victoria, Texas native is currently leading the league in wins (14) and is also ranked second in the league innings pitched (154) and batting average against (.216), tied for second in shutouts (1), tied for third in strikeouts (123) and games started (25), ranked fourth in ERA (2.98) and fifth in WHIP (1.19).

Drabek has earned the win in each of his last five starts for the Fisher Cats and has allowed three earned runs or less in 19 of his 25 starts this season, including eight games in which he has not allowed a single run.

The biggest highlight of the season for Kyle came on July 4th when he pitched the first nine-inning no-hitter in the history of the Fisher Cats franchise. He struck out three batters and walked two in New Hampshire's 5-0 victory over New Britain at Merchantsauto.com Stadium. That performance helped the 6'1", 190 lb. hurler take home the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week Award for the week ending July 4th.

Drabek also threw one shutout inning as the starting pitcher for the Eastern Division at the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game in Harrisburg and was selected as the right-handed starting pitcher on the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Team.

Kyle, who is the son of former National League Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek, was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies for Roy Halladay on December 16, 2009. He was originally selected by the Phillies as the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2006 Draft out of The Woodlands High School in Texas.

Altoona left-handed starter Rudy Owens finished second in the voting for the award and Harrisburg left-handed starter Tom Milone finished in third place. This award was voted on by Eastern League managers, writers, broadcast personnel and other members of the media.

The announcement of the winner of the Eastern League Rookie of the Year Award and the Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award will be made on Thursday, September 2nd and of the winner of the Eastern League Manager of the Year Award on Sunday, September 5th.