PAPILLION, NEB. – Minor League Baseball announced today that Omaha Storm Chasers pitcher Daniel Lynch IV has been named the International League Pitcher of the Month for July.
The Henrico, Virginia native went 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA in 5 July starts and allowed only 7 earned runs on 22 hits across 31.2 innings of work. The left-hander struck out 29 and held opponents to a .191 batting average. He led qualified IL pitchers (min. 22.0 IP) in ERA, WHIP (1.01) and opponents’ average, while fifth among all IL pitchers in strikeouts. Lynch IV threw four quality starts over his five outings, also offering a start of 5.0 scoreless innings.
Lynch IV opened his month July 4 at Iowa (CHC), when he held the Cubs to three runs across 6.0 innings, with 7 strikeouts. The following week, he pitched twice against the Toledo Mud Hens (DET), allowing 1 run over 6.1 innings with 3 hits allowed and 7 strikeouts July 9, before throwing 5.0 scoreless frames with 3 hits and 4 strikeouts July 14. Coming out of the MLB All-Star Break, Lynch IV allowed just 1 run over 6.2 innings July 21 vs. Indianapolis (PIT), striking out 5 in the process. His final start of the month came July 27 at St. Paul (MIN), where the lefty allowed 2 runs over 7.2 innings, striking out 5 on 100 pitches. The July 27 start came one out of shy of tying his career best for innings in a game and Lynch IV became just the 11th International League pitcher to throw at least 7.2 innings in a start this season, the first Storm Chaser starter to pitch two outs into the 8th inning of a game since Arnaldo Hernandez on August 26, 2019.
Originally drafted in the first compensation round (34th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2018 out of the University of Virginia, Lynch IV ranks 2nd in the International League this season in ERA (3.36), 4th in WHIP (1.24), 4th in innings pitched (101.2) and 7th in opponents’ average (.253). Across 18 starts with Omaha, he’s gone 7-0 and is the only qualified full season Minor League Pitcher without a loss yet in 2024. He leads the team with 9 quality starts (all within a span of his last 11 starts) while 81 strikeouts rank 2nd on the staff.
