Andrew Cashner and Will Venable Earn Awards From SD Chapter of BBWAA

It's pretty easy to say that two of the best Padres players this year were Andrew Cashner and Will Venable. The SD chapter of the BBWAA made it official when they presented Andrew Cashner with the Clyde McCullough Pitcher of the Year Award yesterday. This morning, Will Venable was named the team's Most Valuable Player.

Cashner made 26 starts this year and went 10-9 with a very nice 3.09 ERA that was just outside the top-10 in the ERA category in the National League. The low ERA was helped greatly by his .76 ERA in September over 3 starts which included his perfect game against the Pittsburgh Pirates until Dex turned the game on and made it a 1-hitter. He began the season pitching out of the bullpen, but once he took over the starting pitcher role, he did not disappoint.

Venable played nearly as well as one could have expected him to play. He set new career highs all over the map. In August, he was named one of the National League Players of the Week. In all seriousness, all of August was his for the taking. He had 40 hits, 8 home runs, 15 RBI to go along with a .367 batting average. This year, Will Venable showed his worth and reasoning in being a part of the Padres outfield for a bit longer. Plus, when you're America's Finest City's Sweetheart, how could you not win an award?

Congrats to both Cashner and Venable. Hopefully next year, there will be a few more contenders for those accolades.