Hendricks claims Southern League ERA title

KODAK, Tenn. - The Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs announced today that Tennessee Smokies pitcher Kyle Hendricks has claimed the league's ERA title with a mark of 1.85.

In 21 starts with the Smokies, Hendricks finished the season 10-3 with a 1.85 ERA allowing just 26 earned runs in 126.1 innings of work, while striking out 101 compared to only 26 walks. He limited opposing hitters to a .227 batting average (107-for-472), while also allowing the fewest baserunners per 9.0 innings pitched at 9.83. His .769 winning percentage and 1.05 WHIP also led the Southern League. Hendricks earned his first call-up to Triple-A Iowa on August 8.

In his second full professional season, Hendricks combined to go 13-4 with a 2.00 ERA (37 ER/166.1 IP) in 27 starts between Tennessee and Iowa. He walked 34 and struck out 128 in 166.1 innings of work. The 23-year-old led the Cubs organization in with 13 victories and his 2.00 ERA. Hendricks ranks seventh among all pitchers in Minor League Baseball in ERA (2.00), ninth with 166.1 innings pitched and 14th with a WHIP of 1.06.

The Newport, Calif. native was named the starting pitcher for the North Division in the 2013 Southern League All-Star game in Jacksonville, Fla. and this past week, was recognized by the Southern League as the top right-handed pitcher on the Postseason All-Star team. Hendricks was named the Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May and earned Southern League Pitcher of the Week honors for the week of June 3-10.

Originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the eighth round of the 2011 draft out of Dartmouth College, Hendricks was traded to the Cubs in 2012, along with INF Christian Villanueva, for RHP Ryan Dempster.