Marion, IL (January 22, 2021) – The Southern Illinois Miners announce that they have signed right-handed pitchers Kyle Hinton and Ryan Miller for the upcoming 2021 season.
Hinton comes to Southern Illinois with two years of experience in the Kansas City Royals organization, most-recently at Single-A Lexington in 2019 where he posted a 3-5 record, five saves, and a 3.26 ERA, striking out 60 batters while allowing just 38 hits in 58 innings over 36 games. He had similar success the previous season between Rookie-level Burlington and A-Advanced Wilmington, amassing six saves in 20 games with a 3.31 ERA, 46 strikeouts, 20 walks, and 23 hits in 32 2/3 innings.
Selected in the 16th round by the Royals in the 2018 MLB Draft, Hinton pitched three years collegiately at the University of Delaware in his home state, boasting a 2.78 ERA and 94 strikeouts over 90 2/3 innings as a starter his junior season.
A native of Venice, Florida, Miller joins the Miners from the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, where he pitched for two seasons. In 27 games at Single-A Kane County in 2019, he pitched to a 4-6 record in 27 games along with a 3.62 ERA, 36 strikeouts and 17 walks in 54 2/3 innings. As a rookie for Short-season Single-A Hillsboro in 2018, Miller put up a 3-0 record in 12 games, a 3.86 ERA, and 10 strikeouts against a lone walk in 11 2/3 innings.
He burst onto the scene that same spring as a senior at Clemson University, where he went 7-1 with four saves in 26 games, a 2.51 ERA, 64 strikeouts, and just 17 walks in 71 2/3 innings. The Diamondbacks then selected him in the 6th round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
“We are excited to have Kyle and Ryan joining the Miners Family,” manager Mike Pinto said. “Both of them have strong experience both at the Division-I level and through their professional seasons. They have both shown the ability to be strike-throwers, and we believe both of them will be impact guys on our staff this year.”
