2011 Tony Awards: Pitcher of the Year

Jeanmar Gomez (Photo: IPI)

Today we continue the IPI’s year end awards with the announcement of the Pitcher of the Year.  This award goes to the starting pitcher in the Indians organization that had the best year from a performance perspective, not from a prospect standing.

Here are the 2011 Tony Awards so far:

Rookie of the Year: Cody Allen (RHP)

Defensive Player of the Year: Kyle Bellows (3B)

Biggest Disappointment: Nick Weglarz (OF)

Biggest Breakthrough: Elvis Araujo (LHP)

Reliever of the Year: Chen-Chang Lee (RHP)

Comeback Player of the Year: Beau Mills (1B)

Again, these awards are simply for fun to hand out at the end of the year.  Also, the Cleveland Indians in no way whatsoever had any input in these awards.

Onto the nominees…

Pitcher of the Year Nominees:

Scott Barnes (LHP – Columbus)

8-4, 3.45 ERA, 18 GS, 99.0 IP, 85 H, 12 HR, 36 BB, 107 K, .230 BAA

Barnes was having an outstanding season before a knee injury sidelined him on July 10^th and he missed the rest of the season. He was on quite a roll at the time as after struggling in his first exposure to Triple-A he made a quick adjustment and in his last ten starts went 5-3 with a 2.58 ERA (59.1 IP, 49 H, 5 HR, 19 BB, 63 K). He showed an ability to get his fastball by hitters and is definitely a Major League starting pitching option for the Indians in the near future.

Austin Adams (RHP – Akron)

11-10, 3.77 ERA, 26 GS, 136.0 IP, 147 H, 6 HR, 63 BB, 131 K, .280 BAA

This was Adams’ first season as a full fledged starter as he spent all of 2010 in a piggyback role and he made a lot of strides. He is still raw and learning how to pitch, but the power of his mid-to-upper 90s fastball and his good curveball make him an exciting pitching prospect for the Indians. He finished 2^nd in the organization in wins (11) and 2^nd in strikeouts (131). He also finished 2^nd in the Eastern League in wins (11), 11^th in ERA (3.77), 12^th in innings pitched (136.0), 6^th in strikeouts (131), and 3^rd in walks allowed (63).

Elvis Araujo (LHP – Arizona/Mahoning Valley)

9-1, 3.36 ERA, 15 GS, 69.2 IP, 65 H, 2 HR, 25 BB, 63 K, .245 BAA

Araujo took home the honors this year for the Biggest Breakthrough, which was well deserved after the year he had. He finished 7^th in the Indians organization in ERA (3.36) and also ranked 1^st in the Arizona League in wins (9), 3rd in ERA (2.86), 9th in games started (11), 4th in innings pitched (63.0), 3rd in strikeouts (58), 3rd in WHIP (1.14), 1^st in batting average against (.228), 5^th among starters for lowest walks per nine innings (2.5), and 2^nd among starters for fewest baserunners per nine innings (10.3).

Joseph Colon (RHP – Mahoning Valley/Lake County)

4-4, 3.51 ERA, 16 GS, 77.0 IP, 69 H, 3 HR, 31 BB, 61 K, .239 BAA

Colon had a very good return to the mound this season after missing all of the 2010 season because of a right elbow sprain. He pitched all season at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley before getting a call up to Low-A Lake County for his final appearance of the year (6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 4 K) and is likely where he will open the 2012 season. He finished 9^th in the Indians organization in ERA (3.51).

Paolo Espino (RHP – Akron/Columbus)

8-1, 2.77 ERA, 34 G (10 GS), 120.1 IP, 101 H, 11 HR, 25 BB, 119 K

Espino is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Indians organization as he just “gets no respect”. All he has done the past few years is perform, but his opportunities have been limited because other pitchers with higher value continue to pass him over. He was lights out for most of the last four months of the season, and in his final 10 games at Triple-A Columbus went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA (37.1 IP, 29 H, 3 HR, 4 BB, 39 K). He finished 4^th in the Indians organization in ERA (2.77).

Jeanmar Gomez (RHP – Columbus)

10-7, 2.54 ERA, 22 GS, 141.2 IP, 128 H, 8 HR, 49 BB, 110 K, .244 BAA

Gomez returned to Triple-A Columbus to start the season and made a few spot starts over the course of the year in Cleveland before he was called up for good on August 30th. He finished 3^rd in the Indians organization in ERA (2.54) and 3^rd in wins (10). He finished 1^st in the International League in ERA (2.55), 5^th in wins (10), tied for 3^rd in complete games (2), 8^th in WHIP (1.25), and 5^th among starters for lowest batting average against (.242).

David Huff (LHP – Columbus)

9-3, 3.87 ERA, 18 GS, 107.0 IP, 111 H, 10 HR, 30 BB, 66 K, .264 BAA

Huff is 27 years old and lost his rookie status back in 2009, so he is no longer a prospect per se, but he still pitched a majority of the season at Triple-A Columbus so is eligible for the award. After a tough 2010 season he bounced back this season and had a good year in Columbus and a solid showing in Cleveland where in 11 starts there he went 2-6 with a 4.09 ERA (50.2 IP, 55 H, 6 HR, 17 BB, 36 K).

Danny Jimenez (LHP – Mahoning Valley)

4-3, 2.39 ERA, 17 G (12 GS), 71.2 IP, 66 H, 1 HR, 24 BB, 50 K, .241 BAA

Jimenez has made the slow progression through the Indians system where he pitched at rookie level Arizona for two years in 2009 and 2010 before finally getting an opportunity at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley this year. He did not disappoint pitching at a higher level this year and definitely raised his stock. He finished 2^nd in the Indians organization in ERA (2.39). He was also 5^th in the NY-Penn League in ERA (2.39) and 11^th in innings pitched (71.2).

Zach McAllister (RHP – Columbus)

12-3, 3.32 ERA, 25 GS, 154.2 IP, 155 H, 11 HR, 31 BB, 128 K, .261 BAA

After a disappointing 2010 campaign last season in Triple-A (9-12, 5.29 ERA, 27 GS) McAllister had a very good second go around this year. He finished 5^th in the Indians organization in ERA (3.32), 1^st in wins (12), and 4^th in strikeouts (128). He also finished 7^th in the International League in ERA (3.32), 3^rd in wins (12), 1^st in complete games (3), 4^th in innings pitched (154.2), 2^nd among starters in lowest walks per nine innings (1.8), and 4^th for fewest baserunners per nine innings (11.2).

T.J. McFarland (LHP – Akron)

9-10, 3.74 ERA, 27 GS, 149.1 IP, 149 H, 11 HR, 51 BB, 115 K, .259 BAA

McFarland started the year at High-A Kinston but was quickly promoted to Double-A Akron and pitched well in his first extended exposure at one of the highest levels in the minors. He established himself as a good, young starting pitching prospect for the Indians and likely will return to Akron to open 2012. He finished 10^th in the Indians organization in ERA (3.74). He also finished 2^nd in the Eastern League in complete games (2) and 11^th in innings pitched (137.1).

Matt Packer (LHP – Akron)

9-12, 4.31 ERA, 27 GS, 169.1 IP, 175 H, 16 HR, 33 BB, 129 K, .269 BAA

Don’t let that high ERA fool you as it is not truly indicative of how well Packer pitched this season. He finished the season with a flurry going 8.0 innings or more in six of his last ten starts and in 11 starts after the All Star break went 6-4 with a 2.78 ERA. He finished 2^nd in the Eastern League in games started (27), 1^st in innings pitched (169.1), 1^st in total batters faced (702), 2^nd in losses (12), 7^th in strikeouts (129), 9^th in WHIP (1.23), and 2^nd in lowest walks per nine innings (1.8). He also ranked 3^rd in the Indians organization in strikeouts (129).

Mike Rayl (LHP – Lake County/Kinston)

6-8, 3.42 ERA, 25 GS, 123.2 IP, 114 H, 9 HR, 26 BB, 121 K, .243 BAA

Rayl was up for the Biggest Breakout award as well as he had a very good first full season for the Indians. He split his time between Low-A Lake County where in 17 starts he went 5-5 with a 2.83 ERA (82.2 IP, 66 H, 3 HR, 13 BB, 84 K) and High-A Kinston where in 8 starts he went 1-3 with a 4.61 ERA (41.0 IP, 48 H, 6 HR, 13 BB, 37 K). He pitched well in both places and his 3.42 ERA was 8^th best in the Indians organization.

And the Tony Award goes to…Jeanmar Gomez

The Indians did not have a true standout pitching performance from a starter this year. Had lefty Drew Pomeranz finished the year in the organization he would have been the clear runaway winner for the award as his performance was outstanding. There were several good performances by other pitchers, but nothing to Pomeranz’s level so it made it tough to hand out this award.

In the end it was hard to overlook the year that Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Jeanmar Gomez had. Sure, he was no longer a rookie coming into this season thanks to the 11 starts and 57.2 innings he pitched at the big league level in 2011, but he is still just 23-years old and is still growing as a pitcher. To put it in greater context he will not turn 24-years old until next season but already has two Triple-A and Major League seasons of experience under his belt.

Gomez pitched very well all season at Columbus and was one of the best pitchers in the International League. When he was called up to Cleveland on August 30^th he got on a roll where in five starts after his recall he went 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA (30.0 IP, 29 H, 8 BB, 15 K), though he struggled in his final start of the season against the hot-hitting Tigers on September 27^th as he allowed 10 hits, 8 runs, 2 walks and had 5 strikeouts over four innings.

Gomez showed a good fastball that he cuts and sinks and had better command of it this year. His slider and changeup both showed improvement as well. It is now all about just getting him consistent from start to start and becoming more aggressive in the strike zone. He has Major League stuff, just the question is how well it will translate every five days over the course of a 162-game season in the big leagues.

I myself have never been a huge fan of Gomez and what he could do at the big league level. I have always felt he is a big league starting pitcher, but that it would be more as a back of the rotation or depth starter.  But after his season I may have to reconsider my thinking on that as he now looks like he has the potential to be a solid middle of the rotation starter in the big leagues.  Unless the Indians add a veteran starting pitcher to the mix he will go into spring training as the early favorite to make the 2012 opening day starting rotation as the fifth starter.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

Posted in: Austin Adams,awards,Daniel Jimenez,David Huff,Elvis Araujo,Jeanmar Gomez,Joseph Colon,Matt Packer,Mike Rayl,Paolo Espino,T.J. McFarland,Zach McAllister