John Brownell named Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

(Central Islip, N.Y., Oct. 13, 2015) – The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball today announced its 2015 End-of-Season All-Star team featuring the Player, Pitcher and Manager of the Year honors. A league-best four Long Island Ducks were chosen as All-Stars, including starting pitcher John Brownell and infielders Dan Lyons, Sean Burroughs and Cody Puckett. In addition, Brownell was selected as the 2015 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year.

“We’re proud of John and the fact that he is being recognized for his outstanding season,” said Ducks President/GM Michael Pfaff. “He has worked hard to make a positive impact and is not only a great pitcher, but also a strong leader and good teammate. In addition, all four players chosen as All-Stars are very deserving of this high honor and continue to be excellent representatives of the Ducks and the Atlantic League.”

Brownell becomes the second player in franchise history to receive Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year honors, joining Mike Loree, who accomplished the feat in 2011. The right-hander posted the best regular season of his Ducks career, compiling a 12-6 record with a 3.38 ERA in 26 starts. He ended the year tied or in sole possession of the league lead in wins, innings pitched (175.2), complete games (4), shutouts (2) and strikeouts (146), which was also a single season franchise record. In addition, he was tied for the second-most starts in the league and finished fifth in earned run average. The 32-year-old has been a member of the Ducks four seasons. In that span, he is 36-27 with a 3.71 ERA and 424 strikeouts in 85 games (84 starts).

Lyons receives his second End-of-Season All-Star selection after previously being chosen in 2012. The shortstop posted the best season of his Ducks career, earning a midseason Atlantic League All-Star selecting and being voted by Ducks fans as the Team’s Most Valuable Player. He posted career-best totals in batting average (.301), home runs (11), RBI (73), hits (140), triples (7) and games played (131). The 31-year-old ranked second in the keague in slugging percentage (.462), third in runs (74), total bases (215) and on-base percentage (.368) and fourth in RBI, triples, extra-base hits (46) and batting average.

Burroughs claimed All-Star honors after finishing the season as the Atlantic League batting champion with a .3403 batting average. The former Major Leaguer split time this season with the Ducks and Bridgeport Bluefish and compiled four home runs, 51 RBI, 30 runs, 114 hits, 11 doubles and a league-high .403 on-base percentage. He batted .366 in 37 games after joining the Ducks while totaling 53 hits. The 35-year-old also led the Ducks during the postseason with a .444 batting average, eight hits and four RBI.

Puckett earns an All-Star nod for the second consecutive season after being named a Second Team All-Star in 2014. The infielder ranked among the league leaders in several offensive categories, finishing second in at-bats (535), tied for second in games played (135), third in hits (147), and 10th in batting average (.275). He ended the season with nine home runs, 53 RBI, 67 runs and 23 doubles. The 30-year-old compiled a 20-game on-base streak from August 3-23 and hit safely in 18 of those 20 games.

The entire 2015 Atlantic League End-of-Season All-Star Team can be viewed by CLICKING HERE. The remainder of this year’s honors will be announced during the week. These include the inaugural Red, White and Blue All-Defense Team, featuring the Rawlings Gold Glove Defensive Player of the Year Award, and other club honors.

The Long Island Ducks are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Bethpage Ballpark. For further information, call (631) 940-DUCK or visit www.liducks.com.

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