A Bolstered Bullpen: Andrew Triggs Spotlight
Springdale, Ark. - In a bullpen that has developed multiple Major League All-Star relievers, 6-foot-4 Andrew Triggs hopes to etch his name in the list of past Naturals to become Major League success stories.
Andrew Triggs received his first glimpse of Double-A baseball late in the 2013 season following an August promotion from the Royals' High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks. Despite the small sample size, Triggs certainly made his presence felt by striking out 10 batters over 4 relief appearances without allowing a run.
An imposing right-hander on the mound, Triggs could be an anchor at the back end of the bullpen this year for Northwest Arkansas. The 25-year-old was a No.1 starter for the University of Southern California in 2010. The Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants drafted Triggs in the 2010 and 2011 drafts, respectively, before the Royals were able to sign Triggs after drafting him in the 19th round of the 2012 Draft.
The Tennessee native has quickly risen through the ranks of the Royals farm system. In 2012, he made just two appearances in rookie ball before having a terrific year at low-A Kane County. Triggs posted a 1.70 ERA with 48 strikeouts and just 9 walks in 42.1 innings. That was good for a 10.2 SO/9 and an outstanding 5.33 SO/BB ratio. The following season he started off at high-A Wilmington, where he posted a 2.54 ERA and struck out 63 batters in 60.1 innings.
Triggs certainly has big shoes to fill, with impressive names to come before him. Former Natural relievers Greg Holland (2009) and Aaron Crow (2010) have each earned trips to the Major League All-Star game. In addition, former 2013 Natural Yordano Ventura recently received the news he would enter the 2014 season as the Royals third starter.
The Seventh Season of Naturals Baseball begins Thursday, April 3, 2014 in Frisco, TX. The team opens at Arvest Ballpark on Thursday April 10, 2014 against the same Frisco RoughRiders.
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The Naturals play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, AR. For more information including statistics, ticket options, and more, please visit NWANaturals.com, and follow us on Twitter @NWANaturals and Facebook.com/Naturals.
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