Kerry Carpenter and Wilmer Flores Named 2022 Tigers Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year

The Detroit Tigers announced that outfielder Kerry Carpenter and righthanded pitcher Wilmer Flores have been named the 2022 Tigers Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively.

Carpenter combined to play in 98 games between Double A Erie and Triple A Toledo in 2022, hitting .313/.380/.645 with 27 doubles, one triple, 30 home runs and 75 RBI. Among all Minor League players, he ranked third with a .645 slugging percentage and ninth with a 1.025 OPS. Carpenter was named the Eastern League Player of the Month for May and the International League Player of the Week for the week ending August 7.

Carpenter made his Major League debut late in the 2022 season, playing in 31 games with Detroit and slashing .252/.310/.485 with four doubles, one triple, six home runs and 10 RBI. Among all players in professional baseball with at least 120 games played last season, he ranked fourth in slugging percentage (.610), ISO (.310) and HR% (7.0%).

Flores saw time at both Single A West Michigan and Double A Erie in 2022, pitching in 25 games, including 24 starts, and compiling a 7-4 record with a 2.79 ERA (103.1IP/32ER) and 130 strikeouts. Flores led all Tigers Minor Leaguers (min. 100.0 innings pitched) in ERA, while he ranked fourth in strikeouts, eighth in innings pitched and tied for eighth in wins.

Flores was selected to represent the Tigers organization in the 2022 Futures Game at Dodger Stadium, throwing two thirds of an inning and allowing a run on a hit. He was also named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending September 18.

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