PITTSBURGH — After being named the Double-A Altoona Curve Pitcher-of-the-Year, right-hander Kyle McPherson received an even bigger award at PNC Park on Friday. The 23-year-old was named the Pirates Minor League Pitcher-of-the-Year after putting up a great season combined with High-A Bradenton and Altoona.
“It’s a tremendous honor for myself to be the recipient of this award,“ McPherson said. “There’s a lot of outstanding pitchers in this organization. It’s tough competition all the way up. They’re out there to take your job and there’s competition all the way up. With that being said, you just got to go out there and hope that you can separate yourself from them every single day. Or at least try to.”
McPherson went a combined 12-6 with a 2.96 ERA with 142 strikeouts in 28 starts between High-A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona.
“Kyle has been fun to watch grow,” Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle said. ”We had him in Spring Training, so I got to meet him initially. The reports throughout the season were always consistent. He had some challenges, he had some struggles, he was able to fight through those, finish strong. We had him up here at the end of the season for a couple days. We’re very high on Kyle McPherson, seeing what role he can establish. Some still think he can be a top, big time starter. Then there’s guys that’s talked about bullpen value. [He’s] just a long man with a great frame, big arm, we’re looking forward to just seeing him back in camp next year and watching him pitch and see where he can go.”
McPherson finished with an organization leading 142 strikeouts, which was most by a Pirates minor leaguer since 2006. McPherson also finished second with 12 wins and third with a 2.96 ERA behind State College Spikes Nicholas Kingham (2.15) and Bradenton Marauders Brett Lorin (2.84).
“It was a big step forward for me this year,“ McPherson said. “I really wanted to focus on building off of last season and come into this season strong and try to sustain that throughout the entire year, stay healthy and focus on the little things.”
Those little things, McPherson said, were throwing quality strikes.
In 16 starts with Altoona, McPherson went 8-5 with a 3.02 ERA, including a 4-1 mark and a 2.60 ERA in his first full month in Double-A in July.
Following the All-Star break, he was tied for second among Double-A pitchers with six wins and did not allow a run in a combined 10.0 innings in his final two starts.
“It was tough at times,“ McPherson said of the difference between the levels. “I really didn’t try to focus on that too much. At the same time, I knew that the game didn’t change, it was still the same game and I wanted to go out there and continue to pitch and learn. Every step, level that you take up is another chance to learn and that’s how I treated it.”
In his second-to-last start with the Marauders, before being promoted to Double-A, McPherson took a no-hitter into the 9th inning before allowing his only hit — a one-out home run to Sean McGraw.
He finished with a complete game, the first nine-inning complete game in Bradenton Marauders history.
“It was a heck of an opportunity to have that chance to go that deep into a ballgame,“ McPherson said. “Once I realized it, in about the seventh inning that I had a no-hitter going, it was starting to set in a little bit. I really wanted to focus in on the hitters that I was facing then. It came down to that one out in the ninth inning. I thought I made a pretty good pitch. But the hitter thought otherwise, of course, with a solo-home run on that pitch. You live and learn. I really wanted to stay in the game and finish it and that’s what happened. That was the first time ever in my career that I had the opportunity to go all nine, and fortunately it was good enough for us to pull out a victory.”
Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington and Director of Scouting Kyle Stark were in attendance that night as well.
“I guess lightning struck and everybody just happened to be there for that one,“ he said. “I was pleased that they were there to be able to see something like that. I hold it dear to me. It was a special moment in my career and in my life of baseball.”
McPherson, 23, was selected in the 14th round of the 2007 draft by the Pirates out of the University of Mobile (Alabama).
Photo credit: MILB
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