Surprising Angels Minor Leaguer is Pacific Coast League's Pitcher Of The Week

The Angels will take good news from wherever they can find it in what's already become a trying season in Anaheim. Last week, they could look east to Salt Lake City to their Triple-A affiliate.

Pitcher Brett Kerry took home Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors, the league announced Monday. The 25-year-old right-hander made only one start but made it count. He allowed three hits and one run over eight innings Friday against Sacramento, one of the best outings of his professional career.

Brett Kerry painted the corners last week👨‍🎨🎨

📰https://t.co/lzzscBjX8K pic.twitter.com/mQ1rqAjLSf
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) May 13, 2024

Kerry is not ranked among the Angels' top 30 prospects in what's generally considered a shallow farm system, perhaps making his performance a surprise.

He fired six no-hit innings to begin the game against the River Cats, and allowed only three hits in total. He joined Bees teammate Davis Daniel as the only pitchers in the PCL to pitch at least eight complete innings in a single game this year.

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 draft from the University of South Carolina, Kerry is in his second season with the Angels' top farm team. He's made four starts this year, striking out 22 batters across 23.2 innings while holding a 3.42 ERA.

Remarkably, the award is Kerry’s third Pitcher of the Week Award since turning pro. He won Southern League Pitcher of the Week honors twice in 2022 while pitching for the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

Kerry's fastball topped out at 93.5 mph Friday, according to Statcast, and generated only four swings and misses but plenty of soft contact. Line-drive outs by Brandon Martorano and Yusniel Diaz helped preserve the shutout in progress. Meanwhile, the Bees racked up nine runs in a 9-1 win.

The Angels' top minor league affiliate is 16-22 to start the year.