July Astros MiLB Standouts: By the Numbers

So many stars, so little time!!! Looking at the Astros farm system for July by the numbers ...

Ronnie Dawson - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

• 390: Number of days between the date RHP Chad Donato was drafted in the 2016 11th round and the date of his first professional start (Donato underwent TJ surgery on 7/1/16)
• 66.7: Percentage of base runners caught (6 of 9) by Buies Creek C Jake Rogers
• 61.5: Percentage of base runners caught (8 of 13) by DSL C Nerio Rodriguez
• 61: Runs scored by Fresno in a 4-game series in Las Vegas from 7-17 thru 7-20; included 66 hits and 19 home runs
• 53.3: Percentage of base runners caught (8 of 15) by Quad Cities C Chuckie Robinson
• 43: Hits by Quad Cities OF Carmen Benedetti, to lead the Astros affiliates
• 37: Strikeouts by Buies Creek RHP Forrest Whitley (in 22.1 IP), to lead the Astros affiliates
• 29: RBI by Fresno 1B A.J. Reed, to lead the Astros affiliates
• 26: Runs scored by Quad Cities OF Ronnie Dawson, to lead the Astros affiliates
• 25: Walks drawn by Fresno OF Preston Tucker, to lead the Astros affiliates
• 24 Games: Hitting streak by Fresno IF/OF Tony Kemp (from 6-22 thru 7-19)
• 20: Percentage of inherited runners allowed to score (2 of 10) by Corpus Christi RHP Ryan Thompson
• 19: Hits collected by the Buies Creek 'Stros, including 5 home runs, on 7-4
• 18: Walks issued by the DSL Astros Orange team on 7-20 (only in the DSL!); the DSL Pirates scored 13 runs on only 5 hits in that game
• 14 Games: Hitting streak by Buies Creek 2B Ryne Birk (from 6-29 thru 7-13); promoted to Corpus Christi a few days later
• 14: Stolen bases by Quad Cities IF Kristian Trompiz, to lead the Astros affiliates
• 13: Home runs hit collectively by the Astros affiliates in 8 games on 7-15 (with 3 grand slams, 1 each by Fresno's Tyler White, Corpus Christi's Jack Mayfield and Quad Cities' Troy Sieber)
• 12: Wins in a row by the Fresno Grizzlies (from 6-23 thru 7-4); also had 8-, 4- and 5-game win streaks in July
• 11.1: Percentage of inherited runners allowed to score (1 of 9) by Corpus Christi RHP Nick Hernandez (including stranding bases loaded twice)
• 11: Home runs hit by Fresno IF Jack Mayfield, to lead the Astros affiliates
• 11: Number of games it took Greeneville OF Patrick Mathis to collect his first professional home run, a grand slam, on 7-14
• 10: Strikeouts in 5.2 shutout innings for Buies Creek RHP Forrest Whitley on 7-15
• 9: Doubles hit by Quad Cities C Chuckie Robinson, Corpus Christi OF Ramon Laureano and Corpus Christi OF Jason Martin, to tie for the Astros affiliates lead
• 8.2: No-hit innings pitched by Corpus Christi LHP Alex Winkelman, broken up by a single from Frisco 2B Andy Ibanez
• 6: Home runs hit by the Fresno lineup on 7-17 (including a grand slam from OF Jon Kemmer)
• 6: Home runs hit by the Fresno lineup again on 7-18
• 6: Home runs hit by the Fresno lineup yet again on 7-20
• 5: Runners caught stealing by DSL Astros Blue team C Nerio Rodriguez; as a bonus, he also hit a home run in the game, making history

#Astros' Nerio Rodriguez, 17, caught 5 of 5 stealing in DSL today. That's happened 2x in @MLB since 1924. He also homered. Never happened. pic.twitter.com/ZlSAAWkJ1g

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 28, 2017

• 5: Perfect innings by GCL RHP Tanner Duncan in his first two outings after signing as a non-drafted free agent with the Astros
• 5: No-hit innings (plus 9K) in High A debut for RHP Forrest Whitley on 7-3
• 5: Hits from Quad Cities OF Carmen Benedetti on 7-3
• 5: Hits from Corpus Christi OF Ramon Laureano on 7-9
• 5: Starts from RHP Rogelio Armenteros for Fresno in July
• 5: Wins from RHP Rogelio Armenteros for Fresno in July
• 4: Triples hit by GCL (now Greeneville) 1B Jose Benjamin, to lead the Astros affiliates
• 4: Scoreless innings out of the bullpen from Fresno LHP Kent Emanuel in his AAA debut
• 3: Stolen bases by Tri-City OF Andy Pineda in one game on 7-7
• 3.1: Perfect innings of relief by GCL RHP Juan Corniel on 7-12
• 2: Perfect innings with 5K by GCL RHP Corbin Martin in his pro debut on 7-14
• 2 HR Game Club: Fresno C Max Stassi (7-3); Buies Creek 1B/OF Spencer Johnson (7-4); Tri-City DH Reid Russell (7-6); Quad Cities OF Ronnie Dawson (7-7); Corpus Christi IF Jack Mayfield (7-15); Fresno SS Reid Brignac (7-17); 2 HR in the same inning for Quad Cities OF Ronnie Dawson (7-19); Quad Cities IF Josh Rojas (7-19); Fresno OF Jon Kemmer (7-22); Fresno 1B A.J. Reed (7-20); Tri-City 3B Adrian Tovalin, including a grand slam in his first game following a promotion to Tri-City (7-24); Fresno 3B J.D. Davis, including a grand slam (7-25)
• 1.2: Innings pitched by former Astros first rounder Jio Mier for the Las Vegas 51s on 7-17 (yes, he's an infielder); allowed only one run out of the 22 scored by Fresno that night
• 1: Hit allowed by Tri-City RHP Tyler Ivey, RHP Diogenes Almengo, LHP Carlos Hiraldo (1 H) and RHP Reggie Johnson in a 10-inning shutout of Vermont (7.1 innings with no hits) on 7-31
• 1: Inside-the-park home run for OF Stephen Wrenn on 7-3, the first for the Buies Creek/Fayetteville franchise
• 1: Steal of home by the perfectly named Fildex Perfecto (DSL) on 7-8
• 1: Cycle for GCL 1B Jose Benjamin in only four at-bats in a rain shortened game (double in the first, triple in the third, home run in the fifth and single in the sixth)
• 1st Game at Tri-City/1st Walk-Off Grand Slam: Tri-City DH/1B Colton Shaver wasted no time, collecting his first grand slam (a walk-off) in his first game following his promotion to the level
• 1: Shrimp (Walk-off Walk) by Tri-City 1B Jake Adams in extra innings on 7-31
• 0: Percentage of inherited runners allowed to score (0 of 9) by Quad Cities RHP Dustin Hunt
• 0: Hits by the Tri-City lineup against Staten Island on 7-29 😢

Brendan McCurry - April 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

• 0.00: ERA for Fresno RHP Brendan McCurry in 11 bullpen appearances (15.1 IP)
• 0.00: ERA for Tri-City RHP Reggie Johnson in 8 bullpen appearances (14.0 IP)
• 0.00: ERA for GCL/Tri-City RHP Corbin Martin (2017 2nd round pick) in 4 games/2 starts (13.0 IP)
• 0.00: ERA for DSL RHP Luis de Paula in 6 bullpen appearances (11.2 IP)
• 0.47: ERA for DSL/GCL RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez in 5 games/2 starts (19.1 IP)
• 0.64: ERA for DSL RHP Fredis Guerrero in 4 games/3 starts (14.0 IP)
• 0.73: ERA for Greeneville/Tri-City/Quad Cities RHP Jesus Balaguer in 7 bullpen appearances (12.1 IP)
• 0.75: ERA for DSL LHP Denilson Lugo in 4 games/1 start (12.0IP)
• 0.79: ERA for GCL/Tri-City RHP Brandon Bielak (2017 11th round) in 4 games/1 start (11.1 IP)
• 0.82: ERA for Quad Cities LHP Salvador Montano in 7 bullpen appearances (11.0 IP)
• 0.84: ERA for Corpus Christi/Fresno RHP Jacob Dorris in 7 bullpen appearances (10.2 IP)
• 0.93: ERA for Quad Cities/Buies Creek RHP Kevin Hill in 5 games (19.1 IP) 
• 1.35: ERA for GCL (Rehab)/Buies Creek RHP Elieser Hernandez in 5 games/4 starts (20.0 IP)
• 1.42: ERA for Buies Creek LHP Sean Stutzman in 5 games (12.2 IP)
• 1.61: ERA for Quad Cities RHP Abdiel Saldana in 5 games/4 starts (28.0 IP)
• 1.62: ERA for GCL/Tri-City LHP Kit Scheeetz (2017 NDFA) in 5 games/3 starts (16.2 IP)
• 1.64: ERA for Buies Creek/Corpus Christi RHP Ralph Garza in 6 bullpen appearances (11.0 IP)
• 1.72: ERA for Tri-City LHP Parker Mushinski (2017 7th round) in 6 games/1 start (15.2 IP)
• 1.74: ERA for Buies Creek LHP Ryan Hartman in 5 games/3 starts (20.2 IP)
• 1.74: ERA for DSL RHP Ernesto Jaquez in 4 games/2 starts (10.1 IP)
• 1.80: ERA for Greeneville RHP Leovanny Rodriguez in 5 games/4 starts (25.0 IP)
• 1.85: ERA for Buies Creek RHP Jorge Alcala in 5 games/4 starts (24.1 IP)
• 1.93: ERA for Tri-City LHP Nathan Thompson in 6 games (18.2 IP)
• 1.93: ERA for Fresno RHP Mike Hauschild in 3 games/3 starts (14.0 IP)

Ryan Hartman - July 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

• 0.385: WHIP for GCL/Tri-City RHP Corbin Martin (2017 2nd round pick) in 4 games/2 starts (13.0 IP)
• 0.500: WHIP for Tri-City RHP Reggie Johnson in 8 bullpen appearances (14.0 IP)
• 0.600: WHIP for GCL (Rehab)/Buies Creek RHP Elieser Hernandez in 5 games/4 starts (20.0 IP)
• 0.621: WHIP for Quad Cities/Buies Creek RHP Kevin Hill in 5 games (19.1 IP)
• 0.699: WHIP for Buies Creek RHP Jorge Alcala in 5 games/4 starts (24.1 IP)
• 0.711: WHIP for Buies Creek LHP Sean Stutzman in 5 games (12.2 IP)
• 0.720: WHIP for DSL LHP Antonio Pujols in 4 games/1 start (16.2 IP/2.16 ERA)
• 0.771: WHIP for DSL RHP Luis de Paula in 6 bullpen appearances (11.2 IP)
• 0.786: WHIP for DSL RHP Fredis Guerrero in 4 games/3 starts (14.0 IP)
• 0.833: WHIP for Quad Cities RHP Carson LaRue in 4 games/3 starts (18.0 IP/2.00 ERA)
• 0.895: WHIP for Greeneville RHP Humberto Castellanos in 5 games/1 start (19.0 IP/2.37 ERA)
• 0.913: WHIP for Fresno RHP Brendan McCurry in 11 bullpen appearances (15.1 IP)
• 0.938: WHIP for Tri-City RHP Colin McKee in 5 games (16.0 IP/3.38 ERA)
• 0.947: WHIP for DSL RHP Christian Mejias in 5 games/3 starts (19.0 IP/2.84 ERA)
• 0.968: WHIP for Buies Creek LHP Ryan Hartman in 5 games/3 starts (20.2 IP)
• 0.971: WHIP for GCL/Tri-City RHP Brandon Bielak (2017 11th round) in 4 games/1 start (11.1 IP)
• 0.973: WHIP for Greeneville/Tri-City/Quad Cities RHP Jesus Balaguer in 7 bullpen appearances (12.1 IP)
• 0.985: WHIP for Buies Creek RHP Forrest Whitley in 5 games/4 starts (22.1 IP/3.22 ERA)

Carmen Benedetti - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

• 1.108: OPS for DSL OF Ramiro Rodriguez (22 games)
• 1.066: OPS for Quad Cities OF Ronnie Dawson (26 games)
• 1.054: OPS for Fresno OF Jon Kemmer (23 games)
• 1.048: OPS for Fresno 1B A.J. Reed (24 games)
• 1.038: OPS for Tri-City/Quad Cities 3B/C Abraham Toro-Hernandez (26 games)
• 1.029: OPS for Greeneville/Tri-City DH/1B Colton Shaver (21 games); 2017 39th round pick
• 1.021: OPS for GCL/Greeneville 1B Jose Benjamin (21 games)
• 1.015: OPS for Quad Cities OF Carmen Benedetti (28 games)
• .648: SLG for Fresno 1B A.J. Reed (24 games)
• .635: SLG for GCL/Greeneville 1B Jose Benjamin (21 games)
• .627: SLG for Corpus Christi/Fresno IF Jack Mayfield (28 games)
• .618: SLG for Quad Cities OF Ronnie Dawson (26 games)
• .609: SLG for Greeneville/Tri-City DH/1B Colton Shaver (21 games)
• .607: SLG for Tri-City/Quad Cities 3B/C Abraham Toro-Hernandez (26 games)
• .603: SLG for Fresno IF Tyler White (17 games)
• .598: SLG for Fresno OF Jon Kemmer (23 games)
• .533: OBP for DSL OF Ramiro Rodriguez (22 games); he struck out twice while walking 18 times in July
• .492: OBP for Quad Cities OF Carmen Benedetti (28 games)
• .468: OBP for DSL IF/OF Ronaldo Urdaneta (21 games)
• .468: OBP for GCL IF Jonathan Matute (17 games)
• .456: OBP for Fresno OF Jon Kemmer (23 games)
• .448: OBP for Quad Cities OF Ronnie Dawson (26 games)
• .440: OBP for DSL OF/IF Kendy Moya (20 games)
• .411: BA for DSL OF Ramiro Rodriguez (22 games)
• .402: BA for Quad Cities OF Carmen Benedetti (28 games)
• .373: BA for Quad Cities OF Ronnie Dawson (26 games)
• .365: BA for GCL/Greeneville 1B Jose Benjamin (21 games)
• .359: BA for DSL IF/OF Ronaldo Urdaneta (21 games)
• .356: BA for Fresno OF Jon Kemmer (23 games)

Astros MiLB July Roster Moves and Transactions

So many transactions and roster moves, I can't even ....

JULY ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

MLB.com release regarding the Astros International Signings

7-31: OF Teoscar Hernandez (Fresno) traded to Toronto, along with Houston OF Nori Aoki, for LHP Francisco Liriano
7-31: 1B A.J. Reed recalled to Houston from Fresno
7-31: RHP Jumbo Diaz signed by Houston and assigned to Fresno; 33-year old with 173 bullpen appearances over 4 seasons in the majors with the Reds and Rays
7-31: RHP Michael Feliz recalled to Houston from Corpus Christi
7-30: LHP Reymin Guduan recalled to Houston from Fresno
7-29: IF Colin Walsh signed with Houston and assigned to Corpus Christi; 27-year old who played 38 MLB games in 2016 for Milwaukee
7-29: 3B Tyler Wolfe (Corpus Christi) released
7-29: RHP Ronaldo Marrero assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-29: DH Reid Russell assigned to Greeneville from Tri-City
7-19: SS Enmanuel Valdez (GCL) activated from the suspended list
7-28: 1B Connor MacDonald (Tri-City) released
7-27: RHP Michael Feliz optioned to Corpus Christi from Houston
7-27: C Abraham Toro-Hernandez assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-27: RHP Ricardo Castro (Tri-City) activated from the suspended list
7-27: C Gabriel Bracamonte assigned to Tri-City fromQuad Cities
7-27: 1B Colton Shaver assigned to Tri-City from Greeneville
7-26: RHP Will Harris sent to Buies Creek on a rehab assignment
7-26: RHP Cesar Rosado placed on the Quad Cities 7-day DL
7-26: RHP Jesus Balaguer assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-25: LHP Ashur Tolliver outrighted to Fresno
7-25: RHP James Hoyt optioned to Fresno from Houston
7-25: OF Derek Fisher recalled to Houston from Fresno
7-25: RHP Andrew Walter (Corpus Christi) released
7-25: OF Kyle Tucker activated from the Corpus Christi DL
7-25: 3B Wander Franco assigned to the GCL from Quad Cities
7-24: IF Jack Mayfield assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
7-24: RHP Kyle Smith (Fresno) released
7-24: 3B Tyler Wolfe assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
7-23: IF Tyler White recalled to Houston from Fresno
7-22: LHP Reymin Guduan optioned to Fresno from Houston
7-22: LHP Dallas Keuchel sent to Tri-City on a rehab assignment
7-21: OF Drew Ferguson activated from the Corpus Christi DL
7-21: RHP Brandon Bielak assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-21: OF Bryan de la Cruz assigned to Tri-City from Corpus Christi
7-21: 3B Adrian Tovalin assigned to Tri-City from Greeneville
7-21: RHP Juan Corniel assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
7-21: IF Jose Benjamin assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
7-21: RHP Corbin Martin assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-21: RHP J.B. Bukauskus (1st round pick) assigned to the GCL
7-21: 1B Angel Tejeda assigned to the GCL from the DSL
7-21: RHP Kyle Serrano (10th round pick) assigned to the GCL
7-20: RHP Carlos Sierra activated from the Buies Creek 7-day DL
7-20: SS Kristian Trompiz assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-20: 3B Wander Franco (Quad Cities) suspended for an undisclosed number of days
7-20: RHP Ricardo Castro (Tri-City) suspended for an undisclosed number of days
7-19: RHP Andrew Thome assigned to Corpus Christi from Fresno
7-19: 2B Ryne Birk assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
7-19: 3B J.D. Davis assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
7-19: 3B Tyler Wolfe assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
7-19: C Raymond Henderson activated from the Buies Creek 7-day DL
7-19: RHP Cristian Javier assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-19: RHP Gabriel Valdez placed on the Quad Cities 7-day DL, retroactive to 7-18
7-19: SS Jonathan Arauz assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
7-19: LHP Austin Kerns assigned to the GCL from Greeneville
7-19: RHP Johsson Arias assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
7-19: SS Enmanuel Valdez (GCL) suspended for an undisclosed number of days
7-19: C Ihan Bernal assigned to the GCL from Corpus Christi
7-18: 3B Colin Moran recalled to Houston from Fresno
7-18: OF Kyle Tucker placed on the Corpus Christi 7-day DL, retroactive to 7-16
7-18: LHP Howie Brey (Buies Creek) retired
7-17: RHP Josh James activated from the Corpus Christi 7-day DL
7-17: RHP Diosward Gonzalez assigned to the GCL from the DSL
7-17: OF Wilyer Abreu assigned to the DSL
7-17: RHP Luis Garcia assigned to the DSL
7-17: LHP Dallas Keuchel sent to Corpus Christi on a rehab assignment
7-16: RHP Mike Hauschild activated from the Fresno DL
7-15: RHP Jheyson Caraballo assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
7-15: RHP Peter Solomon (4th round) assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
7-15: LHP Kent Emanuel assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
7-14: RHP Brandon Bielak (11th round pick) assigned to the GCL
7-14: RHP Peter Solomon assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
7-12: OF Chas McCormick assigned to Quad Cities from Buies Creek
7-12: RHP Franklin Perez assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
7-11: OF Andres Santana (29th round pick) assigned to the GCL
7-11: LHP Patrick Sandoval assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-11: LHP Kristopher "Kit" Scheetz (NDFA - Virginia Tech) assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-11: RHP Peter Solomon (4th round pick) assigned to the GCL
7-11: OF Nestor Muriel (GCL) released
7-11: LHP Cionel Perez assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
7-11: C Raymond Henderson placed on the Quad Cities 7-day DL
7-10: OF Drew Ferguson placed on the Corpus Christi 7-day DL
7-10: SS Osvaldo Duarte activated from the Quad Cities 7-day DL
7-9: RHP Matthew Merrill assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
7-8: C Randy Vasquez assigned to Buies Creek from Tri-City
7-8: LHP Luis Ramirez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-8: RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez assigned to the GCL from the DSL
7-8: RHP Corbin Martin (2nd round pick) assigned to the GCL
7-8: RHP Jairo Solis assigned to the GCL from the DSL
7-7: RHP J.B. Bukauskus (1st round pick) signed (assigned to the GCL)
7-7: C Michael Papierski (9th round pick) signed (assigned to Tri-City)
7-7: RHP Brian Bielak (11th round pick) signed
7-7: OF Andres Santana (29th round pick) signed
7-7: RHP Kyle Serrano (10th round pick) signed
7-7: RF Jonathan Lacroix (12th round pick) signed (signed according to press reports, but not showing as official on the Astros draft page as of 7/24)
7-7: RHP Ralph Garza assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
7-7: OF Bryan de la Cruz assigned to Corpus Christi from Tri-City
7-7: RHP Kevin Hill assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
7-7: RHP Robert Corniel assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-7: RHP Dayan Diaz optioned to Fresno from Houston
7-7: RHP Casey Coleman (Fresno) released
7-7: LHP Brian Holmes (Fresno) released
7-7: RHP Andrew Thome assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
7-7: RHP Jacob Dorris assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
7-7: OF Chas McCormick (21st round) assigned to Buies Creek from Greeneville
7-7: RHP Jesus Belaguer (23-year old Cuban signed by the Astros in April) assigned to Tri-City from Greeneville
7-7: LHP Yeremi Ceballos (DSL) placed on the 7-day DL
7-7: RHP Christopher Javier (DSL) placed on the 7-day DL
7-6: RHP Jordan Jankowski activated from the Fresno DL
7-6: RHP Nick Hernandez assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
7-6: RHP Erasmo Pinales assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
7-6: RHP Lucas Williams activated from the Quad Cities 7-day DL
7-5: RHP Joe Musgrove recalled to Houston from Fresno
7-5: LHP Ashur Tolliver optioned to Fresno from Houston
7-5: C Trent Woodward placed on the Corpus Christi 7-day DL
7-5: LHP Luis Ramirez assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
7-5: RHP Jheyson Caraballo assigned to the GCL from Greeneville
7-5: RHP Elieser Hernandez (Buies Creek) sent on a rehab assignment to the GCL
7-5: C Ihan Bernal assigned to Corpus Christi from the GCL
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan OF Wilyer Abreu
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan OF Yimmi Cortabarria
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan OF Yefri Carrillo
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan OF Abraham Castillo
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan OF Frankln Pinto
7-4: Agreed to terms with Brazilian OF Victor Mascai (also listed as Victor Coutinho)
7-4: Agreed to terms with Mexican RHP Valente Ballozo
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan RHP Luis Garcia
7-4: Agreed to terms with RHP Flaer Gonzalez
7-4: Agreed to terms with Dominican RHP Alfredi Jimenez
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan RHP Jairo Lopez
7-4: Agreed to terms with Dominican LHP Cristofer Mezquita
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan LHP Ricardo Leon
7-4: Agreed to terms with Dominican SS Enmanuel Morillo
7-4: Agreed to terms with Dominican SS Junior Marte
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan SS Javier Bermudez
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan C Carlos Hurtado
7-4: Agreed to terms with Venezuelan C Richard Toro
7-4: Agreed to terms with 3B Marco Van der Wijst (assigned to the DSL 7-7)
7-4: RHP Tyler Ivey assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-2: Signed 20-year old Dominican RHP Flaer Gonzalez (assigned to the DSL 7-6)
7-2: Signed 18-year old Venezuelan RHP Hecduar Barcenas (assigned to the DSL 7-8)
7-2: Signed 19-year old Dominican RHP Alex Blanco (assigned to the DSL 7-7)
7-2: Signed 17-year old Dominican RHP Jose Betances (signed for $300K per Baseball America); assigned to the DSL 7-7)
7-2: Signed 18-year old Dominican RHP Ernesto Jacquez (assigned to the DSL 7-7)
7-2: Signed 17-year old Dominican RHP Manny Ramirez (assigned to the DSL 7-6)
7-2: Signed 16-year old Brazilian RHP Heitor Tokar (No. 50 per Baseball America/listed as 6'7" 250!!!)
7-2: Signed 17-year old Dominican RHP Diosmerky Taveras (assigned to the DSL 7-7)
7-2: LHP Framber Valdez assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
7-2: RHP Rogelio Armenteros assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
7-2: RHP Forrest Whitley assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
7-2: RHP Cesar Rosado assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-2: RHP Matt Ruppenthal (17th round) assigned to Tri-City
7-2: RHP Cristian Javier assigned to Tri-City from Buies Creek
7-2: RHP Juan Robles assigned to Tri-City from Greeneville
7-2: LHP Francisco Villegas assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
7-2: RHP Jheyson Caraballo assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
7-2: OF Carlos Diaz (14th round) assigned to the GCL
7-2: RHP Brendan Feldmann (NDFA) assigned to the GCL
7-2: LHP Ashur Tolliver recalled to Houston from Fresno
7-2: RHP Josh James placed on the Corpus Christi 7-day DL
7-2: RHP Charlie Morton on rehab assignment to Corpus Christi
7-1: OF Carmen Benedetti activated from the Quad Cities 7-day DL
7-1: OF Bryan de la Cruz assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
7-1: LHP Reymin Guduan optioned to Fresno from Houston
7-1: RHP Dayan Diaz recalled to Houston from Fresno
7-1: RHP David Paulino (Houston) placed on the restricted list

The Social Media post with info on both draftees and non-drafted free agents is here and all players who signed are indicated in bold.

WTHB's Astros Players of the Month for July 2016

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

FRESNO

• Starter: RHP Brad Peacock (3-2 with a 2.93 ERA and a 1.174 WHIP in 5 starts; 7 walks to 34 strikeouts in 30.1IP); honorable mention goes to RHP Brady Rodgers (1.80 ERA/1.000 WHIP in 20IP) and RHP Joe Musgrove (1.89 ERA/0.947 WHIP in 19IP) who put up excellent numbers, but with fewer innings than Peacock
• Reliever: RHP James Hoyt (1-0 with 9 saves, a 0.84 ERA and a 0.938 WHIP in 10 appearances; 2 walks to 15 strikeouts)
• Position Player: OF Teoscar Hernandez (.316/.367/.510 with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs and 17 RBI in 27 games; 5 stolen bases to 3 caught stealing; walked 9 times to 14 strikeouts)

Teoscar Hernandez - April 2016

CORPUS CHRISTI

• Starter: RHP Edison Frias (1-1 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.250 WHIP in 4 starts prior to his promotion to Fresno; 6 walks to 17 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched)
• Reliever: RHP Ryan Thompson (1-1 with 1 save in 12 appearances over 19.2 innings)
• Position Player: OF Danry Vasquez (.296/.352/.481 with 7 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 10 RBI in 23 games); honorable mention goes to C Garrett Stubbs for his .327/.413/.436 batting line in 14 games

Ryan Thompson - June 2016

LANCASTER

• Starters (Tie): RHP Akeem Bostick (2-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.321 WHIP in 5 starts; 15 walks to 25 strikeouts in 28 innings; held batters to a .218 BA) and RHP Trent Thornton (4-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.025 WHIP in 4 starts; 2 walks to 28 strikeouts in 26.2 innings)
• Reliever: RHP Ryan Deemes (2-0 with 2 saves, a 1.59 ERA and 0.971 WHIP in 7 games; 3 walks to 10 strikeouts in 11.1 innings: held batters to a .205 BA)
• Position Players (Tie): OF Drew Ferguson (.348/.484/.636 with 5 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs and 22 RBI in 21 games; 8SB:1CS; 15BB:14SO) and OF Johnny Sewald (.364/.449/.625 with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs and 18 RBI in 23 games; 11SB:2CS; 14BB:22SO); honorable mention to OF Ramon Laureano who hit .460/.541/.810 in 17 games prior to his promotion to Corpus Christi

Drew Ferguson - June 2016

QUAD CITIES

• Starter: RHP Albert Abreu (0-2 with 1 save, a 1.74 ERA and a 0.968 WHIP in 4 games/3 starts; 7 walks to 13 strikeouts in 20.2 innings; held batters to a .178 batting average); honorable mention to RHP Jose Hernandez (0.00 ERA and 0.777 WHIP in 18 innings prior to his promotion to Lancaster) and RHP Elieser Hernandez (2.45 ERA and 1.193 WHIP in 5 starts; 6 walks to 40 strikeouts in 29.1 innings)
• Reliever: RHP Ralph Garza (3-1 with 2 saves, a 1.02 ERA and a 1.019 WHIP in 11 appearances; 5 walks to 14 strikeouts in 17.2 innings)
• Position Player: OF Myles Straw (.423/.478/.510 with 7 doubles, 1 triples, 6 RBI and 5 stolen bases in 26 games)

Myles Straw - May 2016

TRI-CITY

• Starter: RHP Enrique Chavez (3-0 with 1 save, a 1.21 ERA and a 0.716 WHIP in 5 games/3 starts; 5 walks to 16 strikeouts in 22.1 innings; held batters to a .143 BA)
• Reliever: RHP Nick Hernandez (0-0 with 4 saves, a 1.29 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP in 7 appearances)
• Position Player: 3B Randy Cesar (.433/.514/.500 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs and 14 RBI in 17 games prior to his promotion to Quad Cities); honorable mention goes to C Chuckie Robinson (.364/.407/.527 in 14 games)

Enrique Chavez - July 2016

GREENEVILLE

• Pitcher: RHP Tyler Britton (2-0 with a 1.65 ERA and a 0.918 WHIP in 5 games/2 starts; 1 walk to 29 strikeouts in 16.1 innings); honorable mention to LHP Salvador Montano (0.82 ERA/0.636 WHIP/.059 BA in 11 innings) and RHP Devin Raftery (0.73 ERA/0.973 WHIP in 12.1 innings)
• Position Player: SS Miguelangel Sierra (.300/.411/.589 with 1 triple, 8 home runs and 11 RBI in 24 games; 6SB:5CS)

GULF COAST LEAGUE

• Pitcher: RHP Dariel Aquino (1-0 with 1 save, a 1.00 ERA and a 0.778 WHIP in 7 games; 3 walks to 11 strikeouts in 9 innings; held batters to a .121 BA)
• Position Player: OF Wilson Amador (.304/.360/.456 with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run and 10 RBI in 23 games; 5SB:3CS)

DSL ORANGE TEAM

• Pitcher: LHP Francisco Villegas (0-1 with a 1.29 ERA and a 1.095 WHIP in 6 games/3 starts; 8 walks to 23 strikeouts in 21 innings)
• Position Player: OF Gilberto Celestino (.286/.342/.557 with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs and 9 RBI in 19 games)

DSL BLUE TEAM

• Pitcher: RHP Ronel Blanco (3-1 with a 1.10 ERA and a 1.102 WHIP in 5 games/2 starts; 9 walks to 23 strikeouts in 16.1 innings; held batters to a .155 average)
• Position Player: OF Angel Tejeda (.368/.479/.439 with 2 doubles, 1 triple and 7 RBI in 18 games; 6SB:4CS; 11BB:10SO)

WTHB July Astros Minor League Players of the Month

With no further ado, I present you with WTHB's July Players of the Month ...

A.J. Reed - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

PLAYER OF THE MONTH

1B A.J. Reed (Lancaster/Corpus Christi)
Reed's batting average fell off 80 points from last month and he still blew almost everyone out of the water. Plus he had one of the highest on-base percentages in the organization for the month. And his slugging percentage DID blow everyone out of the water, eclipsing the next highest mark by over a hundred points. After all was said and done, Reed ended the month of July with a .354/.446/.717 batting line in 27 games. He collected five doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 29 RBI, with 18 walks to 25 strikeouts. Reed was also the WTHB player of the month for June.

There were a number of incredible performances in July that deserve special recognition. Any one of these could have won player of the month had they not been up against Reed.

OF Drew Ferguson, 2015 19th round draft pick, put up a .359/.429/.533 batting line with seven doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI in 25 games between Tri-City and Quad Cities.

1B/3B Matt Duffy (Fresno) impressed me with his .337/.424/.564 line in 26 games as he collected eight doubles, five triples and 19 RBI. But I was even more impressed with his 14 walks to 11 strikeouts for the month.

OF Ronnie Mitchell (Lancaster) had a terrific month as well, hitting .321/.339/.538 with six doubles, four triples, three home runs and 23 RBI in 26 games.

3B Colin Moran (Corpus Christi) finished the month with a .349/.407/.538 line in 27 games with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs and 22 RBI.

3B Nick Tanielu (Quad Cities) put up a .340/.378/.510 line in 27 games, collecting 11 doubles, two home runs and 24 RBI.

1B/3B Tyler White (Fresno) also collected 11 doubles in July, along with three home runs and 21 RBI in 23 games. He hit .385/.477/.604 with 16 walks to 15 strikeouts.

1B/C Randy Vasquez (DSL) had a .395/.443/.570 batting line with six doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI in 23 games in July.

Other noteworthy performances included Fresno's Andrew Aplin (.333/.437/.367 in 18 games) and Joe Sclafani (.358/.386/.415 in 17 games); Tri-City's Pat Porter (.321/.386/.538 in 22 games) and Bobby Wernes (.341/.430/.365 in 24 games); Greeneville's Ford Stainback (.378/.465/.419 in 20 games); and the DSL's Edgar Lorenzo (.383/.464/.567 in 17 games) and Carlos Machado (.407/.471/.441 in 20 games).

Hector Roa (.574 for Greeneville - just promoted to Tri-City), Derek Fisher (.549 for Lancaster) and Jon Kemmer (.529 for Corpus Christi) had some very healthy slugging percentages. And Antonio Nunez's .453 on-base percentage in 19 games for Tri-City was impressive as well.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH

RHP David Paulino (Quad Cities/Lancaster)
Paulino BARELY eked out this win over our second place finisher, but ultimately, he had pitched a couple more innings and held hitters to a slightly better batting line. Paulino ended the month of July with a 3-1 record, 1.21 ERA and 0.843 WHIP in five starts. He issued eight free passes while striking out 32 in 29.2 innings, and held batters to a .167/.234/.206 line.

RHP Elieser Hernandez definitely deserves special recognition for his work for Tri-City and Quad Cities. In six games (four starts), he was 1-1 with a 1.32 ERA and a 0.915 WHIP. He walked five and struck out 34 in 27.1 innings.

Honorable mentions go to RHP Keegan Yuhl (Lancaster); RHP Ryan Deemes (Greeneville - since promoted to Tri-City); LHP Junior Garcia (Greeneville/Tri-City); RHP Erasmo Pinales (Greeneville); RHP Moreno Polanco (GCL/Greeneville); RHP Michel Martinez (DSL); RHP Yoanys Quiala (DSL); and RHP Jose Ramos (DSL).

RELIEF PITCHER OF THE MONTH

RHP Jandel Gustave (Corpus Christi)

This was REALLY difficult this month. I ended up weighting several factors, including innings pitched, appearances, walks and batting average, but honestly, I could have gone with pretty much any of the honorable mentions. Gustave was 1-0 with three saves in July and had a 0.00 ERA and a 0.811 WHIP in seven games (12.1IP). He walked four batters and struck out 13 while holding them to a .146/.222/.171 batting line.

Honorable mention goes to RHP Jorge Alcala (DSL); RHP Jacob Dorris (Greeneville/Tri-City); RHP Angel Heredia (Quad Cities); RHP James Hoyt (Fresno): RHP Lachlan Madden (GCL/Greeneville); RHP Juan Minaya (Corpus Christi); LHP Cristhopher Santamaria (Greeneville); and RHP Ryan Thompson (Quad Cities).

Jandel Gustave - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

CATCHER OF THE MONTH

Jamie Ritchie (Quad Cities/Lancaster)
Ritchie has been getting behind the dish with much more frequency than he did earlier this year and his defensive numbers are starting to reflect that. Offensively, he has always had strong on-base skills and that hasn't changed. In July, he hit .272/.402/.419 in 25 games (20 at catcher) with six doubles, two home runs and eight RBI. He drew 18 walks and struck out 14 times and also stole three bags.

Honorable mention goes to Alfredo Gonzalez (Corpus Christi) and Oscar Campos (DSL). (Note: Campos had terrific offensive numbers, but only played 13 of 23 games behind the plate.)

Jamie Ritchie - July 2014
Photo by Jayne Hansen

April Players of the Month:
SS Carlos Correa
RHP Chris Devenski
RHP Ryan Thompson
C Tyler Heineman

May Players of the Month:
OF Derek Fisher
RHP Chris Devenski
RHP Travis Ballew
C Jacob Nottingham

June Players of the Month

1B A.J. Reed

RHP Francis Martes

RHP Angel Heredia

C Alfredo Gonzales