Kansas City Royals: Two minor league pitchers honored

Two Kansas City Royals pitching prospects were honored for the week of July 30-August 6. Both J.C. Cloney and Marcelo Martinez earned Pitcher of the Week awards.

According to Andrew Gruman of Royal Rundown, both J.C. Cloney and Marcelo Martinez were both honored as the PItcher of the Week in the Pioneer League and Appalachian League, respectively. The Kansas City Royals have some promising young arms in their farm system, and Cloney and Martinez are two to be excited about.

J.C. Cloney

Cloney was selected in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of Arizona. He earned the title of Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week in two starts for Idaho Falls. He yielded one earned run in 12.2 innings of work, notching 13 strikeouts.

On the season, Cloney is doing well. In fact, he is 10-0 in the minors. He boasts a 2.01 ERA on the season, through 62.2 innings of work. With Idaho Falls, his ERA was 1.93. After being named Pitcher of the Week, the lefty was moved up to the Lexington Legends from the Idaho Falls Chukars.

Since the move, he is 1-0. In his first appearance with Lexington, he yielded a 2.70 ERA in 6.2 innings of work, giving up six hits and walking three batters.

Marcelo Martinez

Martinez’s honor was based on his six scoreless innings of work against Pulaski. The game, played on August 1, was called due to rain after those innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out twelve in that game.

The 22 year old from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico is currently with the Burlington Royals. He, too, started the season with Idaho Falls after being signed as a free agent.

So far this season, Martinez has yielded an ERA of 2.20, with a record of 3-3. He’s pitched 45 innings in 2018, 39 of those with Burlington. In addition to the quality start that earned him the Pitcher of the Week honors, he followed it up with six innings of no-hit baseball in his next start, only giving up two walks and striking out ten.

Both of these young pitchers are prospects to watch. Though they still have a ways to go working their way through the farm system before they will even be close to Major League ball, it’s nice to know there is quality youthful talent waiting in the wings.