Despite playing in just a little more than half of his team's games and no longer being in the league, Hawai'i's Kila Ka'aihue was named Double-A Texas League Player of the Year yesterday, the league announced.

Ka'aihue played in 91 of the league's 140 games for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals before being promoted last month to the Triple-A Omaha Royals of the Kansas City Royals organization. He signed with the Royals, who picked him in the 15th round in 2002 out of 'Iolani.

For the Naturals, Ka'aihue batted .314 with 26 home runs — which still leads the league — and 79 RBIs. He still leads the league in on-base percentage (.463) and slugging percentage (.624). He had 80 walks to 41 strikeouts, and made the Texas League all-star game in June.

Moreover, he hasn't missed a beat since his promotion. The 6-foot-3, 233-pound left-handed hitting first baseman is batting .341 with nine home runs and 18 RBIs after 26 games with Omaha.

Texas League managers and media voted for the league's all-stars, as well as the player and pitcher of the year awards.

"He needed what they call a breakout season," said his father, Kala Ka'aihue, who played professionally for 11 years. "He worked real hard this off season, watched his diet, cut some weight down, worked on his speed. It's been a blessing. It's helped him."

Big league clubs can expand their rosters up to 40 players on Sept. 1, although that doesn't guarantee a call-up for Ka'aihue because he is not on the 40-man roster. But as a seventh-year minor leaguer, he can be eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December if he is not eventually protected on the 40-man roster.

"He's got the numbers and with the Texas League Player of the Year (Award), it opens up not just the Royals," said the elder Ka'aihue. "It's open market. There's 30 teams out there that can use a big, strong first baseman that can play the field and hit the home run."