KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Major League Baseball announced tonight that Royals left-handed pitcher Cole Ragans has been named American League pitcher of the Month for August.

Ragans, 25, led the Majors in the month of August with a 1.72 ERA (7 ER in 36.2 IP) and 53 strikeouts, and led the American League in both K/9 (13.0) and K% (36.6%), trailing only Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta (13.8 K/9, 40.0 K%) among Major League pitchers. Half of his 6 starts in August were scoreless and his most recent performance extended his scoreless streak to a career-high 15.0 innings, which was the 4^th-longest active streak in the Majors entering today.

Ragans’ 53 strikeouts in 36.2 innings last month were the 2nd most for any month in Royals history, trailing only Dennis Leonard, who had 55 strikeouts in 59.1 innings in June 1977, the year he set the club’s single-season strikeout record (244). Ragans’ 13.0 K/9 and 36.6 K% were the highest rates by a pitcher (min. 5 starts) in any calendar month in franchise history, and his 1.72 ERA was the best mark by a Royal in August since Bret Saberhagen had a 1.58 ERA (10 ER in 57.0 IP) in August 1989, the year he won his second Cy Young Award.

Ragans is the ninth different Royals pitcher (16^th occurrence) to be named American League Pitcher of the Month, and the first since Zack Greinke in April 2009, the year he won the Cy Young Award. Ragans is only the third Royals left-handed pitcher to earn league monthly honors, following Charlie Leibrandt, who won the award in April and September 1985, and Larry Gura, who was honored in July 1980 and September 1981.

The complete list of Royals to win American League Pitcher of the Month is below.

Cole Ragans, August 2023

Zack Greinke, April 2009

Jose Lima, July 2003

Kevin Appier, June 1995

David Cone, May 1994

Kevin Appier, July 1992

Bret Saberhagen, September 1989

Bret Saberhagen, August 1989

Mark Gubicza, June 1989

Mark Gubicza, June 1988

Bret Saberhagen, April 1987

Charlie Leibrandt, September 1985

Bret Saberhagen, July 1985

Charlie Leibrandt, April 1985

Larry Gura, September 1981

Larry Gura, July 1980