The Dodgers have named right-handed pitcher Zach Lee and outfielder Alex Verdugo as the Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Year respectively.

Lee, who turned 24 on September 13, is a two-time recipient of the prestigious award, having won the honor in 2013 as well. This season he ranked among the Pacific Coast League leaders in wins (11, T-3rd), ERA (2.70, 2nd), WHIP (1.11, 1st), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.26, 3rd) and allowed an average of only 0.40 home runs per nine innings (3rd).

Lee opened the season very strong, going 5-3 with a 2.38 ERA (15 ER/56.2 IP) and posted an ERA under 3.00 in each of the season’s first two months with a 1.80 ERA (5 ER/25.0 IP) in four April starts and a 2.84 mark (10 ER/31.2 IP) in six May starts. He held opposing batters to a .257 average, while limiting the opposition to a .210 average with runners in scoring position throughout the season.

The Plano, Texas native made two stints with Los Angeles this season, including his Major League debut with his first career start against the New York Mets on July 25. Lee was selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of McKinney (Texas) High School.

Lee made his MLB debut and only start with the Dodgers on July 25 2015 against the Mets at Citi Field.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Verdugo opened the season with Single-A Great Lakes in his second professional season, where he ranked among the team leaders in batting average (.295, 5th), hits (124, 1st), doubles (23, 2nd), home runs (5, T-2nd), RBI (42, 3rd), total bases (163, 2nd) and stolen base (13, 2nd) in 101 games. He had a season-high 14-game hitting streak from June 16-July 2 and batted a league-best .349 (66-for-189) with nine doubles, four home runs, 87 total bases, 20 RBI, seven stolen bases and a .832 OPS in 44 second-half games to earn a selection to the Midwest League’s Postseason All-Star Team.

Verdugo, who turned 19 on May 15, was promoted to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on August 14 and helped lead the Quakes to a 2015 California League championship, its first title since 1994. He batted .385 (35-for-91) with nine doubles, two triples, four home runs and 19 RBI along with a .406 OBP and a .659 SLG in 23 games for the Quakes, while posting a .323 average (10-for-31) with a .400 OBP, a double, a homer and seven RBI in eight postseason games. On August 26, he hit for his first career cycle and finished the season with a seven-game hitting streak (September 1-7), while also being honored as the league’s Offensive Player of the week for the period August 31-September 7, batting .577 (15-for-26) with four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI.

Verdugo hit a home run during the South Division playoffs that traveled an estimated 468-feet.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The Tucson, Arizona native batted .311 (159-for-512) with 32 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 61 RBI along with a .340 OBP and a .441 SLG in 124 combined games for the Loons and the Quakes. He was also exceptional in both levels with runners in scoring position, batting a combined .316 (37-for-117) with eight doubles and a triple. Verdugo was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Sahuaro High School in Arizona.

Both Lee and Verdugo will be honored in an on-field pregame ceremony prior to Friday’s 7:10 p.m. game against the Padres.

(Click on image to enlarge)

(Article courtesy of Dodgers PR Department)