Cubs announce their minor league player and pitcher of the year

Cubs announce their minor league player and pitcher of the year


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CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today named infielder Jared Young and right-handed pitcher Matt Swarmer the organization’s Minor League Player and Pitcher of the year, respectively.

Young and Swarmer will be honored during an on-field ceremony prior to the Cubs 7:05 p.m. CT game Thursday, September 27, against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.

Young, 23, batted .300 (134-for-447) with 19 doubles, eight triples, 16 homers and 76 RBI in 120 games this season between Single-A South Bend and Single-A Myrtle Beach. He began the year with South Bend, hitting .313 (81-for-259) with 13 doubles, six triples, 10 homers and 53 RBI in 69 games as he earned Midwest League mid-season All-Star honors. Named the Cubs Minor League Player of the Month for June, he batted .340 (34-for-100) with four doubles, two triples, five homers and 27 RBI on the month before being promoted to Myrtle Beach, July 7. Young appeared in 51 games with the Pelicans to conclude the season, batting .282 (53-for-188) with six doubles, two triples, six homers, 23 RBI and a .368 on-base percentage.

Since making his pro debut in 2017 with Single-A Eugene, Young has batted .290 (170-for-587) with 25 doubles, nine triples, 17 homers and 91 RBI in 159 career contests. He has appeared in 82 games at first base, 33 games at second base, 21 games in left field and one game at shortstop.

A 15th round draft pick in the 2017 Draft, Young attended Old Dominion University where he was named First-Team All-C-USA and a Third-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and ABCA/Rawlings.

Swarmer, 24, went 9-8 with a 3.22 ERA (46 ER/128.2 IP) in 24 starts between Single-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Tennessee. He struck out 135 batters while walking just 21, good for a 6.43 strikeout to walk ratio. He began the season with Myrtle Beach, going 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA (13 ER/51.1 IP) and 59 strikeouts in nine starts to earn Carolina League mid-season All-Star honors. He was named Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Month in April after going 2-2 with a 1.74 ERA (4 ER/20.2 IP) in four starts. Promoted to Tennessee on June 5, Swarmer posted a 3.84 ERA (33 ER/77.1 IP) in 15 starts with the Smokies, striking out 76 batters and walking just 14.

Swarmer has a career 16-14 record with a 3.84 ERA (106 ER/248.2 IP) in 56 appearances, 41 as a starter. He went 7-5 with a 4.71 ERA (53 ER/101.1 IP) in 24 appearances across four teams in the Cubs organization in 2017, and posted a 3.38 ERA (7 ER/18.2 IP) in eight games with Mesa in his pro debut in 2016.

Selected by the Cubs in the 19th round of the 2016 Draft out of Kutztown University (Penn.), Swarmer was named All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference First Team in 2016.

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