On Tuesday, it was announced that the Kansas City Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America named KC Royals reliever/closer Greg Holland as their Pitcher of the Year.

Despite pitching terrible over his first seven appearances out of the bullpen (opponents hit .406 against him) and then heading to the DL, Holland turned his season around once he returned.

After his return form the DL (where he worked on his mechanics and healed his ribs), Holland posted a 7-2 record with a 2.08 ERA. He picked up 16 saves in 60 games and opponents hit just .208 against him. Over 67 innings, he struck out 91. He struck out at least one in 14 of his final 15 appearances.

Those numbers allowed the Royals to trade then-closer Jonathan Broxton to Cincinnati and give the closer’s job to Holland. Those numbers also lowered his early season ERA of 11.37 to a respectable 2.96 at the end of the season.

On Wednesday, DH Billy Butler was named the Royals Player of the Year by the same writers. It is his third such honor (2009-2010).

Butler set career highs in 2012 in homeruns (29) and RBIs (107). Fourteen of his homeruns either tied the game or gave the Royals the lead. He also was named to his first All-Star team.

His .313 batting average was tied for sixth in the American League. He also hit 32 doubles.

Butler was the AL’s most used DH, though he did start 20 games at first base. He is the leading candidate for the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award.

Dick Kaegal lists some of Butler’s top moments from the 2012 season, including his blast against St. Louis Cardinals closer Jason Motte on June 17th at Busch Stadium. With the Royals one strike away from another loss, Butler hit a homerun to tie the game at 2-2. The Royals went on to win in 15 innings.

Do you think the KCBBWAA made the right picks?

As much as I love veteran lefty Bruce Chen (who I hope re-signs with the Royals for the 2012 season), I have to disagree with the KC Royals on their decision to name Chen their Pitcher of the Year. Outside of spending time on the DL, Chen did have a great year. He led the team in wins with 12 and had a 3.77 ERA in the powerful American League.

However I think there was a better pitcher on the Royals in 2011. He went from a relative unknown, pitching in non-pressure situations, to closing out games at the end of the season. That would be right-handed reliever Greg Holland, as he takes home the Royals Blue Aid Award for Pitcher of the Year.

Pitching was not a strong suit for the Royals overall in 2011 as everyone took their lumps. From inconsistencies to injuries to just being rookies, the pitching in KC was sometimes an adventure. Choosing Holland as POY may be a shock to some, but for most who followed the team all season, it should be a no-brainer.

Holland started the season in the minors, but was called up on May 19th (he debuted that day). In the beginning, he mainly got work in mop up duty. He did not allow an earned run until June 14th (his tenth game). Slowly but surely, manager Ned Yost finally began realizing what he had, a guy with strikeout stuff. As All-Star Aaron Crow struggled in the second half, Holland began receiving setup man duties. When closer Joakim Soria went down late in the season with an injury, Holland slid into the closer’s role.

It seemed when the season drug on and some of the relievers wore down, Holland got stronger and it showed. Over his last ten appearances, he allowed just two earned runs. He struck out 15 in 10.2 innings.

He has put himself in competition for a late inning spot (if not the closer’s job) in the 2012 bullpen.

Holland’s big league stats in 2011: 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA in 46 games (60 IP). He was 4-of-6 in save opportunities. He allowed 37 hits and 13 runs (12 earned). He only served up three homeruns all season, two of which were served up in July. Opponents hit just .175 against Holland, while he struck out 74 (compared to 19 walks).

*Holland also had a sweet beard. And who can forget the mohawk early on in the season? I remember being at one of the Royals games in Baltimore back in May and his friends seeing him. They were like “check out the hair!”