Tbonesbaseball.com
The Kansas City T-Bones have announced the re-signing of their 2012 Rookie of the Year, pitcher Lucas Irvine.
Irvine, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound right hander from Liberty, Mo., went 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 2012 with Kansas City. His ERA and strikeouts placed him second and fifth, respectively, among the leaders in the American Association.
Irvine (pronounced Er-vin) began the season as a reliever for the T-Bones before joining the starting rotation at the end of June.
“Luke is a hard worker and tremendous competitor with a fearless confidence, so I’m really excited he’s signed for 2013,” said T-Bones manager Kenny Hook. “With a full professional season under his belt combined with the great velocity on his fastball, he has the ability to be one of the top pitchers in the league.”
Tampa Bay drafted Irvine in the 27th round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft. He appeared in 16 games for Tampa Bay’s Rookie League team in Princeton, W. Va.
