SEATTLE, Wash. – Seattle Mariners right-handed pitcher Edwin Díaz has been named American League Reliever of the Month for July.
Major League Baseball made the announcement this afternoon.
Díaz was 0-1 with 8 saves and a 1.98 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 13 relief appearances in July. He limited opponents to a .163 batting average and striking out 13.83 batters per 9.0 innings. Seattle won each of his last 10 appearances during July, while he recorded seven saves. His eight saves in July ranked 2nd in the American League, trailing only Tampa Bay’s Alex Colome (9).
Overall this season, he is 2-4 with 21 saves and a 3.15 ERA with 64 strikeouts.
In two seasons with Seattle, he has recorded 39 saves and a 2.96 ERA with 152 strikeouts in 94 relief appearances. His 14.05 strikeouts per 9.0 innings mark is the best in club history (min. 90.0 IP) ahead of Randy Johnson (10.58).
James Paxton named American League Pitcher of the Month for July
SEATTLE, Wash. – Seattle Mariners left-handed pitcher James Paxton has been named American League Pitcher of the Month for July. He is the first Mariners pitcher to win the monthly award since Felix Hernandez in June of 2014.
FEB 20 2017: The Seattle Mariners Major League Photo Day takes place at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, AZ. Jamie Schwaberow/Clarkson Creative
Major League Baseball made the announcement this afternoon.
Paxton was 6-0 with a 1.37 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 6 walks in 6 starts in the month of July, becoming the first pitcher in club history to earn 6 wins in any single calendar month. He became the 7th left-handed pitcher to earn 6 wins and record at least 40 strikeouts in any single calendar month since 1980, joining Randy Johnson (April 2000 w/ARI and April, 2002 w/ARI), Steve Carlton (May 1980 w/PHI), Clayton Kershaw (June 2014 w/LAD), Chuck Finley (July 1997 w/LAA), Floyd Bannister (August 1983 w/CWS) and Johan Santana (August 2004 w/MIN).
Among American League leaders during the month, he ranked 1st in wins (1st in MLB), 2nd in ERA (3rd in MLB), T2nd in innings (T3rd in MLB) and T3rd in strikeouts (T4th in MLB).
His 1.37 ERA for the month of July is the lowest in a calendar month by a Mariners pitcher since Felix Hernandez posted a 1.22 ERA in June of 2014. The 1.37 ERA in July is 7th-lowest in club history by a Mariners left-hander in a calendar month and the lowest since Jamie Moyer posted a 1.01 ERA (4 ER, 35.2 IP) in June of 2002.
Overall this season, Paxton is 11-3 with a 2.68 ERA with 125 strikeouts and 31 walks in 18 starts. He has limited opponents to a .220 average against while posting 1.10 WHIP.
(Seattle Mariners press release)
