Minor Leagues Beat Writer
Chicago Sports Online
Felipe Mendez, who put together a strong debut season in professional baseball, has been named “Pitcher of the Year” for 2040 by the Monclova Aqua Sox.
Monclova is the Rookie League Affiliate of the Chicago Black Sox.
Felipe Mendez
“Felipe surprised just about everyone with his performance this year,” said Fernando Álvarez, pitching coach for the Aqua Sox. “His control was especially impressive, given that scouts weren’t particularly blown away by his abilities to throw strikes.”
Scouts, in fact, rated his control as a pretty pedestrian 5/5.
Mendez was chosen in the 8th round of the 2040 amateur draft, 273rd overall.
“I guess you could say that motivated me a little,” Mendez said. “A lot of teams passed me over before Chicago gave me a chance to prove myself. I think I did that.”
Mendez most likely will get a chance to play in the Florida Prospect League coming up in a few weeks.
“I can’t wait,” Mendez said.
Mendez beat out Chicago’s No. 1 draft pick – Romeu Tameiro – for the team’s pitching honor. Although Tameiro came on strong with a number of strong performances towards the end of the season, team officials decided to reward Mendez’s consistency.
“Romeu is a more serious prospect for the majors,” said Álvarez. “But that’s not what this award honors – it honors performance on the field, and there’s simply no doubt that Mendez had the stronger season.”