American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, This Week in the Association and the Minor League Sports Report name Sioux Falls Canaries left-hander Ty Culbreth as the American Association Pitcher of the Month for the month of May.

Canaries LHP Ty Culbreth Named May Pitcher of the Month

On Saturday, This Week in the Association and the Minor League Sports Report named Sioux Falls Canaries left-hander Ty Culbreth as the American Association Pitcher of the Month for May. Culbreth had a spectacular month, going a perfect 2-0 with a 0.81 ERA in three starts.

The left-hander was dominant in his first outing of the year, allowing one run in six innings to the Kane County Cougars on May 14. Culbreth shut the Cougars down through the first four innings, as Kane County finally got on the board in the fifth. Culbreth left after six innings, allowing five hits and no walks while striking out five. Of his 75 pitches, 55 went for strikes.

In his second outing, Culbreth faced the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on May 19. He shut out the RedHawks through the first six innings, tossing a perfect game through the first 4.1 innings of the contest. One-out hits in the fifth and sixth innings where the only blemishes until the seventh, when he gave up a single, then a stolen base and a ground out led to the only run of the contest for the RedHawks. Culbreth went the distance in this game, allowing one unearned run on four hits and no walks while striking out six.

In his next outing, the Sioux Falls ace tossed his second complete game of the season, allowing four hits and two walks in 7.0 innings. This was the second contest of a double-header between the Sioux Falls and the Milwaukee Milkmen. Each team scored a run in the first, then it was a pitcher’s duel over the next five innings. The Canaries finally broke through with three runs in the top of the seventh to earn the victory. Culbreth was spectacular once again, tossing 107 pitches, 67 for strikes.

Ty Culbreth led the American Association in ERA in May (0.82). He was also first in opponent batting average (.169) and WHIP (0.68). During the month, Culbreth allowed two earned runs off 13 hits and two walks while striking out 15 in 22.0 innings pitched.

This is the fifth season for Ty Culbreth with the Sioux Falls Canaries. He was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the eighth round of the 2016 draft. Culbreth spent four seasons in the Rockies organization, going 21-23 with a 4.52 ERA in 66 starts and 15 career relief appearances. He reached AA-Hartford in 2019.

In 2020, Culbreth joined the Canaries, helping the team to reach the American Association Championship Series. He returned to the Canaries in 2021, going 7-9, and has won seven contests in each of the last three seasons. In five seasons in Sioux Falls, the left-hander has gone 25-22 with a 5.52 ERA in 66 starts.

Culbreth was named as the Pitcher of the Week for the second week of the 2024 American Association season.

By Robert Pannier