WTHB's Astros MiLB Players of the Month for June

Presenting WTHB's Astros minor league players of the month for June ...

FRESNO

• Starter: RHP Brady Rodgers (5-0 with a 1.35 ERA and a 0.840 WHIP in 5 starts; 6 walks to 32 strikeouts in 33.1IP; held batters to a .186 average)
• Reliever: RHP Josh Fields (0-0 with 1 save, a 0.00 ERA and a 0.273 WHIP in 9 appearances; 1 walk to 14 strikeouts; allowed only 2 hits in 11 innings pitched)
• Position Player: I had already tentatively picked OF Preston Tucker as my June Player of the Month going into the final day of June. At that point he had a .330/.373/.560 batting line in 24 games. But then he went into overdrive in the final game of the month, going 5-5 with a double, 3 home runs and 8 RBI. When all was said and done, Tucker ended June with a .361/.398/.680 batting line with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs and 19 RBI. Not too shabby.

Preston Tucker - June 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

CORPUS CHRISTI

• Starter: RHP Francis Martes (3-0 with a 1.48 ERA and a 0.989 WHIP in 5 games/4 starts; 8 walks to 30 strikeouts in 30.1 innings pitched)
• Reliever: RHP Aaron West (2-0 with 5 saves in 8 appearances over 15.1 innings)
• Position Player: OF Teoscar Hernandez (.333/.419/.480 with 6 doubles, 3 home runs, 11 RBI and 13 SB to 2 CS in 24 games prior to his promotion to Fresno)

Francis Martes - April 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

LANCASTER

• Starter: RHP Rogelio Armenteros (2-0 with a 1.48 ERA and 1.233 ERA in 5 games/4 starts; 12 walks to 30 strikeouts in 24.1 innings)
• Reliever: RHP Ryan Thompson (1-0 with 1 save, a 0.90 ERA, 0.500 WHIP in 6 games; 0 walks to 14 strikeouts in 10 innings prior to his promotion to Corpus Christi)
• Position Player: 3B Bryan Muniz (.337/.392/.494 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs and 14 RBI in 22 games)

Bryan Muniz - June 2016

QUAD CITIES

• Starter: RHP Jose Hernandez (1-0 with 1 save, a 1.00 ERA and a 0.926 WHIP in 5 games/4 starts; 2 walks to 30 strikeouts in 27 innings)
• Reliever: RHP Ralph Garza (0-0 with 2 saves, a 0.00 ERA and a 0.955 WHIP in 7 appearances; 3 walks to 15 strikeouts in 14.2 innings)
• Position Player (Tie); OF Myles Straw (.326/.420/.477 with 5 doubles, 4 triples, six RBI and 6 stolen bases in 24 games) and SS/OF Osvaldo Duarte (.297/.343/.516 with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 10 RBI and 7 stolen bases in 24 games)

I was vacillating on whether to pick Straw (higher average and better on-base skills) or Duarte (better power numbers), but then I realized that this is my blog so I'm picking both!

Ralph Garza - May 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

DSL ORANGE TEAM

• Starter: RHP Diosward Gonzalez (1-1 with a 1.71 ERA and 1.095 WHIP in 5 starts; 5 walks to 21 strikeouts in 21 innings)
• Reliever: RHP Kilvio Peralta (1-0 with 1 save, a 0.00 ERA and 1.143 WHIP in 5 appearances/14 innings)
• Position Player (tie): OF Ramiro Rodriguez (.300/.419/.500 with 2 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs and 14 RBI in 22 games; 2B Enmanuel Valdez (.323/.375/.597 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs and 16 RBI in 16 games)

DSL BLUE TEAM

• Starter: RHP Leovanny Rodriquez (1-0 with a 0.63 ERA and a 0.698 WHIP in 3 starts prior to his promotion to the GCL; 2 walks to 15 strikeouts in 14.1 innings)
• Reliever: RHP Juan Cuevas (4-1 with 1 save, a 1.29 ERA and a 1.071 WHIP in 7 appearances; 1 walk to 9 strikeouts in 14 innings)
• Position Player: OF Jose Benjamin (.317/.375/.463 with 6 doubles, 2 home runs and 21 RBI in 23 games

Although Tri-City, Greeneville and the GCL were all just getting started in June, I've taken a look at the players who have gotten off to a good start in their limited playing time. (WARNING: Teeny-tiny sample sizes ahead)

TRI-CITY

• Pitcher: RHP Hector Perez (1-0 with a 0.77 ERA and a 1.029 WHIP in 3 games/1 start; 6 walks to 14 strikeouts in 11.2 innings)
• Position Player: OF Stephen Wren (.327/.415/.764 with 2 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs, 11 RBI and 5 stolen bases in 13 games); honorable mention to RF/1B Carmen Benedetti (.400/.441/.491 in 13 games)

GREENEVILLE

• Pitcher: RHP Abdiel Saldana (0.00 ERA and 0.563 in 2 games/0 starts; 0 walks to 8 strikeouts in 5.1 innings)
• Position Player: OF Frankeny Fernandez (.292/.370/.542 with 1 double, 1 triple, 1 home run, 5 RBI and 4 SB in 6 games); honorable mention to 1B Connor MacDonald who only played in 3 games in June, but hit for the cycle in one of them

GCL ASTROS

• Pitcher: RHP Jorge Alcala (1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.889 WHIP in 2 games/1 start; 1 walk to 16 strikeouts in 9 innings)
• Position Player: OF Carlos Machado (.421/.421/.421 in 5 games)