CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Meyers Take Home Pitcher of the Year Honors

Published on September 15, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


WOODBRIDGE, Va- The Washington Nationals recently announced their Minor League Players of the Year, and former Potomac Nationals' standout Brad Meyers received the honor of Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the 2009 campaign.

Standout catching prospect Derek Norris was named Player of the Year after his outstanding season with the Low-A Hagerstown Suns.

Both players were honored with a pre-game ceremony at Nats Park on Tuesday, September 8 before the Nationals took on the Philadelphia Phillies.

Meyers began the year as the number five starter in the Potomac rotation behind Erik Arnesen, Will Atwood, Jeff Mandel, and Tom Milone after an up and down year in Hagerstown in 2008, but he quickly pitched his way into the pitching leaderboards in the Carolina League.

Meyers finished 2-0 in April with an ERA of an even 2.00. He gave P-Nats' fans a glimpse of his ability in Frederick on April 24, a game in which he tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings without walking a batter in a 4-0 Potomac victory.

He carried that momentum with him into the month of May and beyond, winning P-Nats' Pitcher of the Month in both April and June. His 2.00 ERA in April was actually his highest mark for a month with Potomac.

Overall with the P-Nats, Meyers went 6-2 with a league-leading 1.43 ERA in 15 appearances, 14 of them being starts. He struck out 65 batters in 88 1/3 innings while holding opponents to a .222 batting average against.

Tough against right-handers all year, Meyers held righties to just a .198 batting average against. He also did a terrific job of keeping the baseball in the ballpark, serving up just one long ball all season long with Potomac, three combined after his stint in Harrisburg.

In his 15 appearances, he allowed multiple runs just three times.

The right-hander out of Yorba Linda, Ca. was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg in the first week of July, making his Senators debut on July 11 against the Reading Phillies, hurling five innings of one-run ball in a 5-4 Harrisburg victory.

Though a sore left heel landed him on the disabled list after that start, the Loyola-Marymount product came back with a vengeance in the season's final month and a half.

In nine appearances with the Senators, Meyers went 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA which included a seven-inning complete game against Portland on August 22.

His strikeout rate improved to nearly a batter an inning after his jump up to Double-A, punching out 43 hitters in just 48 Eastern League frames.

Combined between the two levels in 2009, Meyers carried a record of 11-3 with a 1.72 ERA in 24 appearances, 23 of them being starts. He tallied 108 strikeouts in 136 1/3 innings pitched while walking just 32.

He held opposing batters to a .223 batting average against, including a paltry .200 mark against right-handers. He also had an excellent WHIP (walks+hits/innings pitched) of 1.05.

Staying true to his Potomac form, Meyers allowed multiple runs in just six of his 24 appearances in 2009.

Meyers led the Washington organization in ERA and finished second in wins behind three of his former and current teammates: Arnesen, Mandel, and Milone. His 108 strikeouts were also good for fifth in the Nationals system.

This marks the second consecutive year that a Potomac Nationals player has taken home the hardware at the end of the season from the big league club.

In 2008, a pair of Potomac prospects picked up awards for both Pitcher and Player of the Year as outfielder Leonard Davis and pitcher Jordan Zimmermann earned the honors.

In 2005, the first year of the Nationals' franchise, P-Nats' infielder Kory Casto and pitcher Mike O'Connor were named top Player and Pitcher respectively.

For more information on ticket packages for the 2010 season, upcoming promotions for next year, and all things P-Nats, keep checking back to www.potomacnationals.com in the offseason.

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Carolina League Stories from September 15, 2009


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