Tigers Reward Smyly and Castellanos

Over the weekend third baseman Nick Castellanos and pitcher Drew Smyly were named the Detroit Tigers Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year. Both Castellanos and Smyly were top picks for the Tigers in the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Smyly finished his first season of pro ball a combined 11-6 with a 2.07 ERA between Advanced-A Lakeland and AA-Erie. The 22-year-old southpaw struck out more than a batter per inning and allowed just two home runs in 126 innings. He will also be representing Team U.S.A. in the upcoming Baseball World Cup.

Castellanos stumbled out the gate hitting just .179 in the month of April. His early season struggles became a distant memory though as he went on to hit over .300 every remaining month for Class-A West Michigan. The 19-year-old finished 2011 batting .312 with 46 extra-base hits, including seven home runs, and 76 RBI.

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