The Astros Player Development Department, headed by Fred Nelson, officially named the Minor League Players of the Month for August late Friday night, with a total of 25 players earning the distinguished honor over eight different affiliates.
Here is the list of players:
Triple-A Oklahoma City:
1) Lucas Harrell -- Pitcher of the Month. He posted a 3-2 record with a 2.10 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 34 1/3 innings in six starts.
2) Anderson Hernandez -- Offensive Player of the Month. Hit .380 (49-for-129) with 15 RBI, nine doubles and two triples in 30 games.
3) Brett Wallace -- Defensive Player of the Month. Has a .986 fielding percentage (one error/254 total chances) in 26 games at first.
-Harrell and Wallace were recalled by Houston on Sept. 1.
-Hernandez earned the Offensive Player of the Month behind an active 30-game hitting streak -- the longest in the Pacific Coast League this season and the longest by a RedHawks player since the franchise moved to the Pacific Coast League in 1998.
Double-A Corpus Christi:
1) Paul Clemens-- Pitcher of the Month. He posted a 2-1 record with a 2.35 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 30 2/3 innings in five starts.
2) Kody Hinze -- Offensive Player of the Month. Hit .260 (26-for-100) with two home runs, 15 RBI and a .342 on-base percentage.
3) Brandon Wikoff -- Defensive Player of the Month. Has a .980 fielding percentage (seven errors/348 total chances) in the infield this season.
-Clemens was promoted to Oklahoma City on Sept.1
-Hinze is hitting .300 with seven homers and 27 RBI in the second half with the Hooks, while Wikoff has turned 37 double plays in 2011.
High A Lancaster:
1) Kyle Greenwalt -- Pitcher of the Month. He posted a 1-1 record with a 1.45 ERA and one save over 18 2/3 innings in nine appearances.
2) Jonathan Singleton -- Offensive Player of the Month. Hit .330 (37-for-112) with four homers, 14 RBI and a .927 OPS in 29 games.
3) Austin Wates -- Defensive Player of the Month. Has a .981 fielding percentage (four errors/214 total chances) in the outfield this season.
-Singleton, who was acquired on July 29 from the Phillies as part of the Hunter Pence trade, currently rates as the Astros' top prospect and is hitting .342 with four home runs, 14 RBI, nine doubles and a .538 slugging percentage in 31 games at Lancaster.
Class A Lexington:
1) Alex Sogard -- Pitcher of the Month. He posted a 1-0 record with a 2.77 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 26 innings in seven appearances.
2) Emilio King -- Offensive Player of the Month. Hit .337 (30-for-89) with four homers, 12 RBI, nine doubles and 13 runs scored in 24 games.
3) Emilio King -- Defensive Player of the Month. Has a .980 fielding percentage (four errors/202 total chances) in the outfield this season.
-King earned South Atlantic League Player of the Week honors (week of Aug. 28), hitting .556 with two homers and seven RBI in seven games.
Short-Season (A) Tri-City:
1) Nick Tropeano -- Pitcher of the Month. He posted a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 17 innings in four starts.
2) Dayan Diaz -- Co-Pitcher of the Month. He posted a 3-2 record with a 0.89 ERA and two saves over 20 1/3 innings in eight games (one start).
3) Rafael Valenzuela -- Offensive Player of the Month. Hit .343 (35-for-102) with two homers, 18 RBI and nine doubles in 28 games.
4) Ryan McCurdy -- Defensive Player of the Month. Has a .988 fielding percentage (errors/256 total chances) in 28 games at catcher.
-Tropeano, who was selected by Houston in the fifth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, currently owns an 18-inning streak without allowing an earned run -- spanning his last five starts.
Rookie-Level Greeneville
1) Jeremiah Meiners -- Pitcher of the Month. Posted a 2-1 record with a 2.95 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 18 1/3 innings in nine appearances.
2) Joshua Magee -- Offensive Player of the Month. Hit .376 (32-for-85) with 10 RBI, six doubles and a .421 on-base percentage in 23 games.
3) Chan Moon -- Defensive Player of the Month. Has a .947 fielding percentage (nine errors/171 total chances) in the infield this season.
-The 19-year-old Magee broke an impressive minor league and Appalachian League record by recording 12 hits in 12 consecutive at-bats.
Gulf Coast League
1) Evan Grills -- Pitcher of the Month. Posted a 2-0 record with a 1.84 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 14 2/3 innings in four games (two starts).
2) Justin Shults -- Offensive Player of the Month. Hit .246 (17-for-69) with 12 RBI and a .464 slugging percentage in 19 games.
3) Jose Fernandez -- Defensive Player of the Month. Has a .926 fielding percentage (15 errors/203 total chances) in 43 games at shortstop.
-Grills, a 10th-round pick by Houston in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, went 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA over 13 games (two starts) this season.
Dominican Summer League:
1) Ambiorix De Leon -- Pitcher of the Month. Posted a 2-1 record with a 3.97 ERA and 11 strikeouts over 11 1/3 innings in three starts.
2) Jose Solano -- Offensive Player of the Month. Hit .320 (24-for-75) with nine RBI, five doubles and a .378 on-base percentage in 20 games.
3) Yoel Silfa -- Defensive Player of the Month. Has a .965 fielding percentage (nine errors/255 total chances) in the infield this season.
-De Leon earned two straight Pitcher of the Month honors (July and August) and finished 2-4 with a 4.47 ERA in 14 games (10 starts).
For the latest Astros news, click on the Subscribe button at the top of the page. Also, be sure to follow Houston Astros Examiner Stephen Goff on Facebook and Twitter, or email sgoff80@yahoo.com.
Comments