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Arlington, Texas – The Texas Rangers announced today the winners of the organization’s yearly farm system awards.  Left-handed pitcher Derek Holland has been named the Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year, while outfielder Nelson Cruz was named the Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year.  Second baseman Jose Vallejo (pronounced vie-YAY-hoe) was named Minor League Defender of the Year, the first time the club has given that award.
 
Holland, who turned 22 this past Thursday, combined to go 13-1 with a 2.27 ERA (38 ER/150.2 IP) in 26 games/starts at three levels of the Rangers farm system.  He issued 40 walks against 157 strikeouts, averaging nearly 4 strikeouts for every walk.  His strikeout total was 10th-highest among all minor league players in 2008.  In just his second professional season, opponents batted a combined .209 (111-532) with just 3 home runs.  Holland began the year with 17 starts at Clinton (Low-A), and made 5 starts at Bakersfield (High-A) before finishing with 4 starts for Frisco (AA).  He also went 1-1 with a 0.44 ERA (1 ER/20.2 IP) over 3 starts for Frisco in the Texas League playoffs.
 
The Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June, July, and August, Holland was also named to Baseball America’s Minor League All-Star First Team, which includes the top professional prospects.  He was also a Low-A All-Star and the ninth-best prospect in the Midwest League by that publication.  A native of Newark, Ohio, Holland was signed as a draft-and-follow player after being selected in the 25th round of the 2006 June draft.
 
Right-handed pitcher Neftali Feliz, who was named to Baseball America’s Minor League All-Star Second Team, was a finalist for the award.  Feliz, 20, went a combined 10-6 with a 2.69 ERA (38 ER/127.1 IP) and 153 strikeouts in 27 games/starts for Clinton (Low-A) and Frisco (AA).  Opponents batted just .201 (89-442) against Feliz this season.
 
Cruz, 28, spent the bulk of the year with Oklahoma (AAA), where he was named Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player.  The right-handed batter hit .342 with 37 home runs, 18 doubles, 3 triples, and 99 RBI in 103 games for Oklahoma this season.  He had a .429 on-base percentage and a .695 slugging percentage for the RedHawks, combining for a 1.123

OPS figure.  He endured a three-week stay on the disabled list Aug. 2-20 with a right quad strain, playing one game on rehab assignment in the Arizona League.  Cruz’s overall .693 slugging mark in the minors this season was the highest of any player, while his 37 home runs ranked tied for 4th.
 
Cruz won or shared Rangers Minor League Player of the Month honors in April, June, and July.  He joined the big league club on Aug. 25 and batted .330 (38-115) with 9 doubles, 7 home runs, and 26 RBI in 31 games for Texas.  He led the team in RBI after his call-up and ranked 2nd in home runs, extra-base hits, average, and slugging. Cruz was acquired from Milwaukee along with Carlos Lee in a trade on July 28, 2006.

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Vallejo, 22, had just 2 errors over his final 45 games this season.  He was named the Best Defensive Second Baseman in the Cal League by Baseball America, and was also that league’s player of the week from May 26-June 1.  Vallejo combined for a .972 (19 E/672 TC) fielding pct. in 139 games for Bakersfield (High-A) and Frisco (AA).  He had just 7 errors over 64 games and 301 total chances (.977) while with Frisco.  The organization’s Defender of the Month in August, Vallejo was in his first season above the Low-A level.