BURLINGTON, VT — Third-year Lake Monster pitcher Francis Ferguson has been named the 2023 Futures League Pitcher of the Year, marking the third straight season that a Vermont pitcher has won the award.

Ferguson finished the 2023 season tied for the league lead in wins with six (6-1), while leading the FCBL with a 2.25 ERA and had 50 strikeouts (4th-most league) over 52 innings pitched (2nd-most). 

After starting 2023 with a 5.54 ERA (8 ER-13 IP) over first three starts, Ferguson allowed just one earned run (a solo homer) over 21 ⅔ innings in his next four starts and just 5 earned runs over his last 42 innings (1.07 ERA) in last seven regular-season starts. 

The left-hander out of Eastern Nazareme University also went 9-for-29 (.310) with five runs, two doubles and four RBI at the plate in 10 games starting in leftfield (6) or as designated hitter (4) in 2023. Over his three seasons with the Lake Monsters, Ferguson was 12-3 with a 3.19 ERA and 60 walks, 133 strikeouts over 127 innings pitched.

Vermont has now had the Futures League Pitcher of the Year in each of the Lake Monsters three seasons in the FCBL (Patrick Harrington in 2021 followed by Sean Matson in 2022).