Nelson elected PCL Pitcher of the Year
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Jimmy Nelson of the Nashville Sounds has been named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year, the league announced today.
Nelson, from Niceville, Florida, received the honor after a balloting of the PCL field managers and media representatives from across the league. The right-hander becomes the second-straight player from Nashville to be named the PCL's top pitcher, after Johnny Hellweg won the award last season.
The Milwaukee Brewers' No. 1 prospect entering this season owns a 10-2 record and holds league-highs in winning percentage (.833), ERA (1.46), WHIP (0.92), and opponents' average (.179). Nelson amassed 114 strikeouts with Nashville, which prior to joining Milwaukee's starting rotation on July 12, were the most in the PCL. At the time of his call-up he was in the midst of a 21.2 inning scoreless streak. Of the 17 games he pitched for the Sounds, 16 were quality outings and in 111 innings he allowed just three home runs.
The 2014 season marks Nelson's fifth in professional baseball, after being selected by the Brewers in the second round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Alabama. He pitched 88 games in his minor league career before making his MLB debut on Sept. 6, 2013 with Milwaukee. Nelson was originally tabbed as the starting pitcher for the PCL at the 2014 Triple-A All-Star Game in July, but was unable to attend the game after being called up to the majors. On Monday, he was named as the right-handed starting pitcher for the All-PCL Team.
The 25-year-old is the third Sounds' pitcher all-time to be selected as the Pitcher of the Year, the most for any PCL franchise since the award began in 2004. The previous two Nashville pitchers to obtain the honor were Hellweg in 2013 and R.A. Dickey in 2007.
Nelson was a near unanimous choice for Pitcher of the Year, as the only other player to receive a vote for the award was Kyle Hendricks (Iowa).
All statistics used are through Tuesday, August 26th.