July 15, 2009

Official Press Release from the Minnesota Twins

VILLANOVA, Pa.--The Minnesota Twins announced today that they will select the contract of right-handed pitcher Kevin Mulvey prior to Friday night's game at the Texas Rangers. This is the first major league call for Mulvey, who pitched at Villanova from 2004-06 and is in his third full season of professional baseball.

Mulvey's contract will be selected from the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, where he has gone 3-6 with a 3.93 ERA this season while recording 81 strikeouts and waking 31 batters. In his most recent start for Rochester on July 9, Mulvey allowed just one run on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts over eight innings pitched at Syracuse.

The 24-year-old was acquired by the Twins along with Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber and Deolis Guerra from the Mets in the deal that sent ace lefty Johan Santana to New York prior to the 2008 season. A second-round pick by the Mets in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Mulvey went 7-9 with a 3.77 ERA in 27 Triple-A starts last year.

In 2006, Mulvey became the first Villanova player ever chosen with a major league team's first draft pick. He was drafted in the second round (62nd overall) by the Mets, who did not have a first-round pick that year. Mulvey has made a steady rise through the minor league ranks over the past three seasons, pitching parts of two seasons in the Mets system prior to being traded to the Twins.

During the 2007 season, Mulvey was selected to pitch in the Futures Game, an exhibition of the game's top prospects held on the Sunday prior to the MLB All-Star Game. He was also named a Mid-Season All-Star in the Double-A Eastern League that season and finished the season by pitching 13 scoreless innings in Triple-A at the end of the regular season and in the Pacific Coast League playoffs.

Mulvey becomes the 55th former Villanova player to reach the major leagues and the first since right-handed pitcher Brian Slocum made appearances for the Cleveland Indians during both the 2006 and 2008 seasons. Slocum currently pitches for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians in the Pittsburgh Pirates system.

During his time on the Main Line, Mulvey became one of the most distinguished pitchers to wear a Villanova uniform. He was a two-time All-Big East selection and as a sophomore threw the eighth no-hitter in school history. Mulvey ended his collegiate career with 222 strikeouts, the most over three years in Villanova program history. He also currently ranks eighth in school history in career innings pitched with 244.0 innings pitched and is tied for 11th with 14 victories.

As a junior in 2006, Mulvey made 14 starts and worked 92 1/3 innings. He allowed just 91 hits while holding opposing hitters to a .254 batting average, and he compiled a sterling ratio of 88 strikeouts against just 23 walks. He led the team with a 3.61 ERA despite owning a 3-8 record.

In addition to Mulvey and Slocum, two other recent Villanova right-handed pitchers are also pitching professionally this summer, both in the Class-A South Atlantic League. Mike Loree, a 2007 graduate, is in his second full season pitching in the San Francisco Giants system and is currently with the Augusta Green Jackets. In addition, 2008 graduate Jordan Ellis is pitching in the Philadelphia Phillies organization for the Lakewood Blue Claws.