The Rocket City Trash Pandas are proud to announce that starting pitcher Brett Kerry has been named Southern League Pitcher of the Week for the period ending April 17.
By taking home the league’s first 2022 Pitcher of the Week honors, Kerry becomes the fourth pitcher in Trash Pandas history to win the award after Kyle Tyler, Cooper Criswell and Ryan Smith did so during the 2021 season.
Kerry was named the Trash Pandas’ Opening Night starter and was dominant with five scoreless innings against Birmingham, walking none while striking out eight as the Trash Pandas went on to win 8-2. Kerry’s first six outs of the season were all strikeouts.
In his next start on April 14 vs. Pensacola, the Angels’ fourth-round selection in the 2021 draft was just as stellar. He opened the night by striking out the top of the Pensacola lineup in order. He struck out a couple more in the second and again struck out the side in the third, this time on just 11 pitches.
He recorded three more strikeouts in the fourth to give him 11 through four innings. Kerry ended his start with another punchout in the fifth, giving him a career-high 12 strikeouts while allowing one run on one hit with one walk in five innings.
For the season, Kerry has allowed just one run over 10 innings for a 0.90 ERA while his 20 strikeouts lead all of Double-A. The Pitcher of the Week award is the first honor of Kerry’s professional career.
Kerry began his professional career last season with Low-A Inland Empire and made four starts for the 66ers before his Double-A debut for the Trash Pandas on Sept. 10, 2021 at Birmingham. That night at Regions Field, he threw five scoreless innings.
He pitched collegiately for three seasons at South Carolina.
The Trash Pandas (6-3) started a six-game road series with the Tennessee Smokies (5-3) Tuesday.
