Cole Ragans named American League Pitcher of the Month

Cole Ragans has been up with the Royals just over one month - and he has already won league honors for it.

The left-hander, who was acquired on June 30 from the Rangers for Aroldis Chapman, was named American League Pitcher of the Month for August. Ragans led the league in both ERA (1.72) and strikeouts (53), and had the most WAR by any pitcher with 1.9, according to Fangraphs.

Ragans made six starts in August, and went at least five innings in each game - never allowing more than three earned runs. He struck out a career-high 11 batters in a start on August 7 against the Red Sox, then tied the mark two weeks later against the A’s. His 53 strikeouts for the month were the second-most by any Royals pitcher in a month, behind only Dennis Leonard who struck out 55 in June of 1977.

Ragans is the first Royals pitcher to win AL Pitcher of the Month since Zack Greinke in April of 2009, and is just the 16th time a Royals pitcher has won the award.