Jake Lewis and Jimmy Merling are the 2016 Duluth-Superior Dukes co-MVP Award winners.
Lewis led the team in seven pitching stats categories, including tying the club's single-season records for wins and strikeouts. He also was named the club's Cy Young Award winner for the third straight year. This is his first team MVP selection. Lewis posted a 5-5 W-L record and a 2.99 ERA in 72.1 innings pitched over 12 appearances.
He had four games with 10 or more strikeouts, including three consecutive appearances on July 17, 24, and 31.
Lewis, who made is debut for the club in 2011, hold a career 13-13 W-L record with a club-leading 3.14 career ERA.
Merling earned his third straight team MVP Award. He was also the team's Silver Slugger Award and co-Gold Glove Award recipient. He led the team in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, batting average, games, plate appearances, at bats, runs, hits, doubles, total bases, runs batted in, and stolen bases.
Merling had eight multi-hit games, including five in a row from June 11 to July 3.
He has 87 career hits in three seasons for the Dukes, for a club-best .367 career batting average.
Year | Player(s) |
2016 | Jake Lewis Jimmy Merling |
2015 | Travis Bartlett Jimmy Merling |
2014 | Jimmy Merling |
2013 | Nick Moran Tim Nylund |
2012 | Anthony Bush Jesse Olson |
2011 | Bob Eastman |
2010 | Anthony Bush |
2009 | Dan Solarz |
2008 | Joe Collier Alan Schmidt |
2007 | Steve Halvorson |