Culpepper Named FSL Pitcher of the Year
Fort Myers, FL —
Fort Myers right-hander
C.J. Culpepper has a new trophy for his shelf after being named the
Florida State League Pitcher of the Year on Thursday, capping a breakout season that left hitters guessing and voters impressed.
Culpepper, just 22, was a force in 15 starts for the
Mighty Mussels. He went 9–5 with a 2.12 ERA, surrendering only 58 hits in 85 innings while piling up 99 strikeouts and holding opponents to a frigid .193 average. His sharp command and swing-and-miss stuff made him one of the league’s toughest puzzles.
The award race was tight, but
Culpepper edged out
Palm Beach’s Jason Savacool in the final tally.
Culpepper earned four first-place votes and 51 total points, narrowly topping
Savacool’s four first-place votes and 48 points.
Lakeland’s Garrett Burhenn finished third with 25 points.
Code:
Player Team 1st Place Total Pts
C.J. Culpepper Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 4 51
Jason Savacool Palm Beach Cardinals 4 48
Garrett Burhenn Lakeland Flying Tigers 2 25
Jeff Lindgren Jupiter Hammerheads 0 23
Dameivi Tineo Jupiter Hammerheads 0 9
Carlos Lagrange Tampa Tarpons 0 8
Marco Raya Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 0 2
Zach Showalter Palm Beach Cardinals 0 2
George Klassen Clearwater Threshers 0 1
Luke Russo Clearwater Threshers 0 1