In 2015, Fort Walton Beach native Josh Lowey tied for the Mexican baseball league with 13 wins on his way to winning the league’s Pitcher of the Year award. A month before this Mexican League season ended, the right-hander had already matched those 13 victories.

Lowey — 2003 Fort Walton Beach High School alumnus — led the Monclova Steelers with 13 wins, 131 strikeouts and a league-leading 1.65 ERA.

On Friday, Lowey was rewarded for his efforts — signing a $220K contract (which includes a $50K signing bonus) with KT Wiz of the Korean Baseball Organization. Lowey told the Daily News he will leave for South Korea on Tuesday.

"It feels great. Eight years of minor league and independent and Mexican league ball has paid off," Lowey said Friday in a text message. "It's a great accomplishment for me and I'm looking forward to continuing my career in Asia."

Yonhap News Agency first reported the signing.

Lowey’s 2015 Pitcher of the Year award was his third such award in four years, having won the award in the independent Frontier League in 2011 and in 2012 in the American Association league.

Last season Lowey finished 13-6 with a 3.03 ERA, the second-best record and fourth-best ERA in the Mexican League. He pitched 142 2/3 innings and was second in the league in strikeouts (145).

Even though he dominated the league last year, Lowey said he has been “a lot more comfortable” on the mound this season, even though batters have been out to get him.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder said his location has been better and his velocity has gone up about two miles-per-hour on certain pitches. He’s touched 96 mph at times on his four-seam fastball, although he normally sits between 90-94.

"I’m still pitching very similar to how I was last year, but I would say a little bit smarter," Lowey said on Wednesday. "I would say I’m having, potentially, my career-best season."

Lowey said he’s gotten better at mixing his pitches, including throwing more off-speed pitches earlier in counts to keep batters off balance. Even though batters know he’s going to throw strikes, he knows how to catch them off guard.

“I’ve become a smarter pitcher,” Lowey said.

Lowey throws a two-seam sinker (89-92 mph) and a curveball (76-80 mph), which he calls his “strikeout pitch.” He also mixes in a slider (82-85 mph) and changeup (80-82 mph).

Lowey said competition in the Mexican League has gotten even better this season, mostly because of a new rule that allows teams to carry an unlimited number of Mexican-American players. Last year teams could carry only one. Now six foreigners are allowed on Mexican league rosters.

As for his future, the 31-year-old said Wednesday he still has dreams of playing Major League Baseball, but knows his window is “very small.”