Gordon Graceffo Named Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year

Peoria, IL – Cardinals farmhand and 2022 Chiefs hurler Gordon Graceffo was named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year on Tuesday, the club announced.

Graceffo, a fifth-round selection in the 2021 draft, began the year in Peoria and made eight electrifying starts with the Chiefs. The right-hander went 3-2 and posted a sparkling 0.99 earned run average in the process. Graceffo was particularly effective in the season’s first month, resulting in being named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April. In four April starts, Graceffo allowed a measly two earned runs and punched out 30 batters over 21.2 innings of work. He walked just one batter over the same time frame. The right-hander went on to duplicate the feat in May as he was again named the Minor League Pitcher of the Month, becoming the first hurler to win the award in consecutive months since 2000 when Bud Smith accomplished the feat.

All told, Graceffo surrendered just 27 hits over his 45.2 innings of action and turned in a 0.68 WHIP. The 22-year-old notched 56 strikeouts compared to just four walks over the course of his stint with Peoria.

Following his promotion on May 24, Graceffo made 18 starts for Double-A Springfield, where he went 7-4 with a 3.94 ERA. Between Peoria and Springfield, he logged 26 starts and sported a 10-6 record with a 2.97 ERA. Graceffo spun 139.1 innings on the year and whiffed 139 batters while issuing just 28 walks, good for a 4.9 K/BB ratio.

"Gordon quickly turned heads with his velocity and command in his first full professional season," said Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak in a statement.

Graceffo becomes the first Chiefs hurler to win the award since Austin Gomber earned the honor in 2015. Graceffo is currently listed as the third-best prospect in the Cardinals system per MLB Pipeline. The former Villanova hurler is listed as the No. 79 prospect in all of professional baseball by the scouting service.