The New York Yankees announced that right-handed pitcher Deivi García and first baseman Chris Gittens were named winners of the 2019 Kevin Lawn Award as the Yankees’ minor league “Pitcher of the Year” and “Player of the Year,” respectively.
The annual awards are dedicated to Kevin O’Brien Lawn—the son of longtime Yankees Vice President and Chief of Operations Jack Lawn—who passed away in 1999. García, 20, combined to go 5-9 with a 4.28 ERA (111.1IP, 96H, 58R/53ER, 54BB, 165K, 10HR) in 26 games (21 starts) between Single-A Tampa, Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2019. His 13.34 K/9.0IP ratio ranked fourth among all minor league pitchers (min. 75.0IP) while his 165 strikeouts were the most in the Yankees organization.
The 2019 Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star also started for the American League in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Cleveland, tossing a 1-2-3 first inning (1.0IP, 1K). He struck out a career-high 15 batters over six scoreless frames on June 18 vs. Richmond to earn Eastern League “Pitcher of the Week” honors.
This offseason, García was tabbed by Baseball America as the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect and the No. 65 prospect in all of baseball, and was named the top prospect in the Yankees organization by MLB Pipeline. The youngest player in Yankees camp this spring, he was added to the 40-man roster on Nov. 20, 2019.
The Bonao, D.R., native was originally signed by the club as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2015. Gittens, 26, won the 2019 Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award after hitting .281/.393/.500 (112-for-398) with 58R, 16 doubles, 23HR, 77RBI and 71BB in 115 games for Double-A Trenton.
An MiLB.com Organization All-Star and Eastern League Mid-Season and Postseason All-Star, he led all Yankees minor leaguers in RBI and tied for second in home runs while pacing the Eastern League in home runs, RBI and OPS (.893). The Sherman, Tex., native was originally selected by the Yankees in the 12th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Grayson College (Tex.). Each player will be presented with a trophy designed by C&C Awards, as well as a designer watch, courtesy of Betteridge Jewelers.
NEW YORK YANKEES KEVIN LAWN AWARD WINNERS Player of the Year Pitcher of the Year2019 1B Chris Gittens (TRE) RHP Deivi García (TAM/TRE/SWB)2018 INF Brandon Wagner (TAM/TRE) RHP Michael King (TAM/TRE/SWB)2017 3B Miguel Andújar (TRE/SWB) RHP Domingo Acevedo (TAM/TRE/SWB)2016 OF Aaron Judge (SWB) RHP Chance Adams (TAM/TRE)2015 C Gary Sánchez (TRE/SWB) RHP Luis Severino (TRE/SWB)2014 INF Rob Refsnyder (TRE/SWB) RHP Luis Severino (CHA/TAM/TRE)2013 1B Greg Bird (CHA) RHP Shane Greene (TAM/TRE)2012 OF Tyler Austin (GCL/CHA/TAM/TRE) RHP Mark Montgomery (TAM/TRE)2011 C Austin Romine (TRE/SWB) RHP D. J. Mitchell (SWB)2010 SS Eduardo Nuñez (SWB) RHP David Phelps (TRE/SWB)2009 C Austin Romine (TAM) RHP Zach McAllister (TRE)2008 OF Brett Gardner (SWB) LHP Phil Coke (TRE/SWB)2007 OF Austin Jackson (CHA/TAM/SWB) RHP Ian Kennedy (TAM/TRE/SWB)2006 1B Cody Ehlers (TAM) RHP Phil Hughes (TRE)2005 OF Kevin Thompson (COL/TRE) RHP Matt DeSalvo (TRE)2004 1B Andy Phillips (COL/TRE) RHP Chien-Ming Wang (TRE/COL)2003 C Dioner Navarro (TAM/TRE) RHP Jorge DePaula (COL)2002 2B Andy Phillips (COL/NOR) LHP Danny Borrell (NOR/TAM) RHP Jorge DePaula (NOR)2001 OF Juan Rivera (COL/NOR) LHP Brandon Claussen (NOR/TAM) OF Marcus Thames (NOR)2000 3B Scott Seabol (NOR) LHP Randy Keisler (COL)1999 2B D’Angelo Jimenez (COL) LHP Ed Yarnall (COL) 1B Nick Johnson (NOR) 1998 1B Nick Johnson (TAM) RHP Ryan Bradley (TAM/NOR/COL)1997 3B Mike Lowell (COL/NOR) LHP Eric Milton (NOR/TAM)1996 OF Ricky Ledee (COL/NOR) RHP Jay Tessmer (TAM)1995 SS Derek Jeter (COL) RHP Matt Drews (TAM)1994 SS Derek Jeter (TAM/ALB/COL) LHP Andy Pettitte (COL/ALB)1993 OF Billy Masse (COL) LHP Ryan Karp (ALB/PRW/GBO)1992 1B J.T. Snow (COL) RHP Sam Militello (COL)1991 C Kiki Hernandez (GBO/PW) RHP Ed Martel (ALB/COL) SS Dave Silvestri (ALB) RHP Sam Militello (PW/ALB)1990 OF Hensley Meulens (COL) RHP Dave Eiland (COL)1989 1B Hal Morris (COL) LHP Steve Adkins (FTL/ALB)1988 1B Kevin Maas (PRW/ALB) RHP Todd Malone (SAR)1987 OF Darren Reed (COL) RHP Dana Ridenour (FTL)1986 3B Chris Alvarez (FTL) RHP Logan Easley (ALB)1985 OF Dan Pasqua (COL) RHP Brad Arnsberg (ALB)1984 C/OF Scott Bradley (COL) LHP Jim Deshaies (COL)1983 OF Brian Dayett (COL) RHP Jose Rijo (FTL/NSH)1982 OF Matt Winters (GBO/NSH) RHP Bob Tewksbury (FTL)1981 1B Don Mattingly (COL) LHP Pete Filson (FTL/NSH)1980 1B Steve Balboni (NSH) RHP Gene Nelson (FTL)
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