Scott Blewett is the Arizona Fall League Pitcher of the Week after striking out six batters and allowing just one run across two starts. The Royals' No. 26 prospect allowed five hits and four walks over 7 1/3 innings, including four innings of shutout ball in his first start of the Fall League season.
"It's an honor, I guess anytime you get an award like that it's a little chip on your shoulder," Blewett said. "I guess it just pays dues to the work I've put in up to this point."
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Blewett, a righty for the Surprise Saguaros, was selected by the Royals in the second round (No. 56 overall) in the 2014 Draft. The 6-foot-6 New Yorker had an impressive AFL debut, going four innings, collecting four strikeouts and allowing just two hits.
The lone run he allowed came on a solo homer, one of three hits he allowed in his second outing. In his final frame of his second start, Blewett added two strikeouts to his resume that eventually secured him the Pitcher of the Week honor.
"I felt like I was still rolling. And I feel like I still had some left in the tank," Blewett said, shedding light on how his body felt after his season with Double-A NW Arkansas. "I didn't want the season to be over with, so I wanted to keep pushing forward and keep getting better."
Blewett says that he has been working on increasing the velocity of his pitches, something he admits that he has lacked consistency with in the past. The right-hander is also beginning to develop a slider -- which, once solidified, would be the fourth pitch in his arsenal.
"Whenever there's something new that's incorporated in, it kind of takes your mind off of the seriousness of the game," said Blewett. "It almost helps me compete more."
Competing more is exactly what the Saguaros hope Blewett will do with a little more than half of the Fall League schedule left to play. While Blewett jokes that he's confident in his ability to strike out his teammate, Vladimir Guerrerro Jr,, the Saguaros will be looking to see if Blewett can replicate the success he's had thus far.