Cloyd Honored as IL's Most Valuable Pitcher

IronPigs' RHP Tyler Cloyd, the club's single-season wins leader and the winningest pitcher in Minor League Baseball this season, was named the International League's Most Valuable Pitcher as announced by the league office on Tuesday. Postseason awards were selected by the circuit's managers, coaches, media, and club representatives.

Cloyd, 25, has been among the league's most dominant starting pitchers since Opening Day when he threw six perfect innings in a win against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre en route to being named IL Pitcher-of-the-Week. The Bellevue, Neb., native currently leads the league in ERA (2.35) and WHIP (1.01) while ranking second in opponent batting average (.210) and tied for second in wins (12).

A model of consistency, Cloyd has thrown six or more innings in 21 of 22 starts while allowing three runs or fewer in 20 of those outings.

Cloyd's 12 wins this season are an IronPigs franchise record -- breaking the mark set by RHP Drew Carpenter (11) in 2009. Since 1989, only four Phillies Triple-A pitchers have won more than 12 games in a single season and none since LHP Brian Mazone went 13-3 for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in 2006.

At the midway point of the season, Cloyd's 8-1 record and 2.01 ERA earned him the honor of starting for the IL squad at the 2012 Triple-A All-Star Game in Buffalo, NY.

Combined with his four starts at Double-A Reading, Cloyd is 15-1 with a 2.26 ERA in 26 starts this season and currently is tied for the most wins in all of Minor League Baseball.

Cloyd owns a career Minor League record of 48-22 with a 3.27 ERA in 135 games (92 starts) in parts of five seasons. He is a former 18th round pick of the in 2008 out of Bellevue East (Neb.) High School.

Cloyd is the first IronPigs pitcher in franchise history to win Most Valuable Pitcher honors, although Justin Lehr made eight starts (5-2, 4.75) with Lehigh Valley at the beginning of the 2009 season before being dealt to Cincinnati's organization where he would be named the league's Most Valuable Pitcher at year's end while pitching with Louisville.

He becomes just the second IronPig - joining 1B Andy Tracy in 2009 - to be named to the IL's Postseason All-Star Team.

The other 2012 award winners include Pawtucket's Mauro Gomez (Most Valuable Player), Gwinnett's Ernesto Mejia (Rookie of the Year) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Dave Miley (Manager of the Year).

Single-game tickets and group tickets for all remaining IronPigs home games presented by Capital BlueCross are on sale now and can be purchased at the Coca-Cola Park Ticket Office, online at www.ironpigsbaseball.com or by calling (610) 841-PIGS (7447).

2012 single-game playoff tickets and Playoff Packs are on sale now by calling (610) 841-PIGS (7447) or in-person at the Coca-Cola Park ticket office during normal business hours.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are dedicated to providing family-friendly entertainment and are the only Minor League team to offer bubbles to fans entering the AT&T Plaza and balloons for all children exiting Coca-Cola Park.