Jonatan Clase Named NWL Player Of The Month
May 2, 2023 — Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) today announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for April in each of the 11 full-season leagues in Major League Baseball’s player development system. *International League (Triple-A) *Iowa Cubs outfielder Christopher Morel batted .356/.456/.828 and led the minors in
May 2, 2023 — Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) today announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for April in each of the 11 full-season leagues in Major League Baseball’s player development system.
*International League (Triple-A)
*Iowa Cubs outfielder Christopher Morel batted .356/.456/.828 and led the minors in home runs (11) and led the league in RBI (26), runs scored (25), total bases (72), slugging percentage (.828) and OPS (1.284). He was fourth in doubles (eight), and sixth in average (.356), hits (31) and on-base percentage (.456). Morel recorded 10 multi-hit games and hit posted an eight-game hitting streak. Morel, 23, was signed by Chicago as an international free agent out of Santiago, Dominican Republic, on August 23, 2015.
Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) left-hander Matthew Liberatore went 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA in five starts and struck out a league-best 38 batters. Liberatore, 23, was originally selected by Tampa Bay in the first round (16th overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Arizona.
*Pacific Coast League (Triple-A)
*Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) infielder Phillip Evans batted .455/.576/.610 and led the league in average (.455), hits (35), runs (27) and on-base percentage (.576) and was third in OPS (1.186). He finished fourth in walks (21) and recorded 12 multi-hit games and hit safely in 11 straight games to end the month. Evans, 30, was originally selected by New York (NL) in the 15th round of the 2011 MLB Draft out of La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, California.
Round Rock Express (Rangers) left-hander Cody Bradford led the Minor Leagues in wins in April as he was 5-0 with a 0.64 ERA in five starts, allowing two earned runs over 28.1 innings while striking out 25. He held opponents to a .135 average as he scattered 13 hits over his five outings. Bradford, 25, was selected by Texas in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Baylor University.
*Eastern League (Double-A)
*Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald batted .324/.410/.588, led the league in triples (three), and was third in average (.324), runs (15), total bases (40) and slugging percentage (.588). He was fourth in OPS (.998) and hits (22) while finishing fifth in doubles (six). He hit safely in nine of the first 10 games to open the season. Fitzgerald, 25, was selected by San Francisco in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Louisville.
Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) left-hander Shane Drohan went 4-0 with a 0.78 ERA in four starts as he allowed two earned runs on 13 hits and four walks over 23.0 innings. Drohan held opponents to a .163 average and has not allowed an extra-base hit this season. He began the season with 12 scoreless innings. Drohan, 24, was selected by Boston in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Florida State University.
*Southern League (Double-A)
*Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels) outfielder Orlando Martinez batted .333/.380/.611 and led the league in average (.333), hits (24), total bases (44), triples (three), and RBI (19). He finished second in OPS (.991), slugging percentage (.611), and home runs (four). He recorded nine multi-hit games in 19 contests. Martinez, 25, was signed by Los Angeles as an international free agent out of Havana, Cuba, on August 30, 2017.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins) left-hander Patrick Monteverde went 3-0 with a 0.35 ERA in four starts. He struck out 38 and walked just four while scattering 10 hits over 26.0 innings. He did not allow a run in his first 16.0 innings and fanned at least eight batters in each of his four starts. Monteverde, 25, was selected by Miami in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech University.
*Texas League (Double-A)
*Amarillo Sod Poodles (Diamondbacks) infielder Ryan Bliss batted .410/.424/.627 and led the league in average (.410), hits (34), total bases (52), and triples (two). He was second in doubles (eight) and third in runs (17) and stolen bases (eight) and finished fourth in slugging percentage (.627) and OPS (1.051). He recorded 13 multi-hit games and hit safely in 17 of 18 games, including a 10-game hitting streak to start the season and a seven-game streak to finish the month. Bliss, 23, was selected by Arizona in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Auburn University.
Tulsa Drillers (Dodgers) right-hander Nick Frasso went 1-1 with a 1.23 ERA in five starts as he scattered 16 hits and five walks over 22.0 innings. Frasso struck out 30 batters and held opponents to a .203 average. Frasso, 24, was originally selected by Toronto in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Loyola Marymount University.
*Midwest League (High-A)
*Dayton Dragons (Reds) outfielder Blake Dunn batted .386/.538/.702 and led the league in average (.386), runs (17), on-base percentage (.538), slugging percentage (.702) and OPS (1.240). He was second in total bases (40), home runs (five), RBI (18), and stolen bases (11). He recorded nine multi-hit games and homered in each of the last three games of the month. Dunn, 24 was selected by Cincinnati in the 15th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Western Michigan University.
West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) left-hander Carlos Pena pitched to a 0.47 ERA in five starts, covering 19.1 innings, as he allowed one earned run and held opponents to a .200 average. Pena struck out 26 batters and was unscored upon in his first nine innings and his last nine innings of the month. Pena, 24, was signed by Detroit as an international free agent out of Santiago, Dominican Republic, on March 6, 2019.
*Northwest League (High-A)
*Everett AquaSox (Mariners) outfielder Jonatan Clase batted .337/.455/.723 and led the league in total bases (60), runs (22), doubles (nine), home runs (seven), and stolen bases (17). He was second in hits (28), triples (one), RBI (17), walks (17), slugging percentage (.723), and OPS (1.178) and third in average (.337) and on-base percentage (.455). He recorded nine multi-hit games and had two separate seven-game hitting streaks in April. Clase, 20, was signed by Seattle as an international free agent out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on July 2, 2018.
Eugene Emeralds (Giants) right-hander Nick Sinacola pitched to a 1.06 ERA in five games (three starts) and held opponents to a .161 average over his 17.0 innings. Sinacola, 23, was selected by San Francisco in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Maine.
*South Atlantic League (High-A)
*Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays) infielder Junior Caminero batted .392/.438/.743 and led the league in average (.392), runs (20), hits (29), total bases (55), home runs (seven), slugging percentage (.743) and OPS (1.181). He finished second in RBI (23) and had 10 multi-hit games, including a five-hit game on Opening Night at Asheville. Caminero, 23, was originally signed by Cleveland as an international free agent out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on July 2, 2019.
Rome Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver went 1-0 and did not allow a run in three starts, covering 14.0 innings as he allowed six hits and four walks. Smith-Shawver struck out 23 and held opponents to a .125 average as he allowed just two doubles and only two runners reached third base (one on a balk and one on a throwing error by the catcher) in April. Smith-Shawver, 20, was selected by Atlanta in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, Texas.
*California League (Single-A)
*Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) third baseman Graham Pauley batted .371/.482/.557 and led the league in on-base percentage (.482). He was second in the league in average (.371), hits (26) and OPS (1.039) and was fourth in runs (18) and total bases (39). Pauley, 22, was selected by San Diego in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Duke University.
Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) right-hander Blake Adams went 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA in three starts as he worked 17.0 innings and allowed just two runs on 12 hits and two walks while striking out 20. He allowed only three extra-base hits (all doubles) and ended the month on a 12-inning scoreless streak. Adams, 22, was selected by Colorado in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Kansas State University.
*Carolina League (Single-A)
*Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox) first baseman Tim Elko batted .351/.407/.623 and led the league in average (.351), hits (27), total bases (48), home runs (six), RBI (25), and slugging percentage (.623). He finished second in OPS (1.030) and posted seven multi-hit games, including a five-hit game April 14 at Delmarva. Elko, 24, was selected by Chicago (AL) in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Mississippi.
Columbia Fireflies (Royals) right-hander Steven Zobac went 1-0 and did not allow a run in three appearances as he allowed just one hit and one walk over 8.0 innings while striking out 18 and holding opponents to a .040 average. He struck out the first 10 batters he faced in April and 14 of the 16 batters he faced in his first two outings. He did not allow a runner to reach second base in April. Zobac, 22, was selected by Kansas City in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of California.
*Florida State League (Single-A)
*Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins) catcher/first baseman Andrew Cossetti batted .395/.474/.678 and led the league in average (.339), home runs (four), doubles (eight), RBI (20), on-base percentage (.474), slugging percentage (.678) and OPS (1.152). He was second in total bases (40) and sixth in hits (20). Cossetti, 23, was selected by Minnesota in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
Dunedin Blue Jays right-hander Rafael Sanchez went 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA in four starts as he allowed 13 hits and two walks over a league-best 23.2 innings. Sanchez led the league with 31 strikeouts and held opponents to a .159 average. He fanned a career-high 11 batters April 27 against Bradenton and did not allow an earned run in his last 17.2 innings in April. Sanchez, 23, was signed by Toronto as an international free agent out of Antilla, Cuba, on May 13, 2022.
PHOTO CREDIT: Shari Sommerfeld
ABOUT MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Minor League Baseball consists of 120 teams across four classification levels (Single-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A) that are affiliated with Major League Baseball’s 30 teams. Fans flock to MiLB games to see baseball’s future stars and experience the affordable family-friendly entertainment that has been a staple of MiLB since 1901. For more information, visit MiLB.com. Follow MiLB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
ABOUT THE EVERETT AQUASOX: The Everett AquaSox are the High-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Everett is a member of the Northwest League and has been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the AquaSox moniker in 1995. For updates on the 2023 season, community initiatives and Webbly appearances follow the Frogs on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or visit our website, AquaSox.com. Season tickets, ticket plans, group outings, and picnics outings can be purchased by calling (425) 258-3673 or visiting the AquaSox Front Office at 3802 Broadway.
Michael Arroyo Powers Two Homers in 8-1 Win
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: Supported by Michael Arroyo’s scorching-hot bat and a spectacular pitching performance from Ryan Hawks, the Everett AquaSox defeated the Tri-City Dust Devils 8-1 in front of 3,131 fans at Funko Field on Friday night. Charlie Pagliarini drew a leadoff walk and Colt Emerson doubled to center field, placing
AquaSox Pitching Cold Thursday Night
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: Although they held a first-inning lead, the Everett AquaSox fell to the Tri-City Dust Devils 11-4 in front of 1,196 fans at Funko Field on Thursday night. Michael Arroyo powered the AquaSox to a two-run lead in the bottom of the first inning, smacking a 373-foot home run
Strong Pitching Anchors AquaSox In 5-2 Win
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: Everett AquaSox pitching excelled, holding the Tri-City Dust Devils to only two base hits as the Frogs secured a 5-2 victory Wednesday night in front of 1,994 fans at Funko Field. Ryan Nicholson drilled a two-run homer to center field to give Tri-City an early 2-0 lead for
Seafair Clowns To Entertain Fans On Sunday
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: We are excited to announce that Seattle Seafair Clowns will be our featured guest at the Sunday Fun Day game against the Tri-City Dust Devils on June 15th at Funko Field. Get ready for an evening of fun, laughter, and baseball magic as they bring Seafair to the
AquaSox Sweep Dust Devils in Doubleheader
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: Playing two games to account for a May 11 rainout against the Tri-City Dust Devils, the Everett AquaSox swept both ends of Tuesday night’s doubleheader, winning 8-7 and 8-0 during Sam’s Cats and Dogs Bark at the Park night. Game One featured the completion of a rainout dating
Ryan Hawks Named NWL Pitcher Of The Week
Everett, WA: Ryan Hawks has been named the Northwest League Pitcher of the Week following his performance on Saturday. Against Eugene, Hawks and two other pitchers combined to no-hit the Emeralds. The 24-year-old struck out seven over seven innings, continuing a strong run of pitching that dates back to his
AquaSox Shut Out in Series Finale
EUGENE, OREGON: The Everett AquaSox offense failed to find a spark at PK Park on Sunday afternoon, falling 8-0 to the Eugene Emeralds in the six-game series finale. The Emeralds powered ahead in the bottom of the second inning, gaining an early 4-0 lead. After James Tibbs III hit a
AquaSox Defeat Exploding Whales 6-4
EUGENE, OREGON: Supported by two solo home runs from outfielder Tai Peete, four hits from infielder Charlie Pagliarini, and four total home runs, the Everett AquaSox blasted their way past the Eugene Exploding Whales 6-4 Saturday night at PK Park.
Sox Pitchers Combine To No-Hit Emeralds
EUGENE, OREGON: The Everett AquaSox pitching staff was untouchable Friday evening as three pitchers combined to no-hit the Eugene Emeralds during a 1-0 AquaSox victory at PK Park.
Curvelo To Make His MLB Debut This Weekend
ARLINGTON, TX: The Texas Rangers are calling 24-year-old right-hander Luis Curvelo for what will be his Major League debut whenever he first gets on the mound.
AquaSox Winning Streak Comes To An End
EUGENE, OREGON: The Eugene Emeralds scored nine runs over the first two innings on the way to a 15-3 win, handing the Everett AquaSox their worst defeat of the season. Things looked promising in the top of the first inning for the AquaSox. Charlie Pagliarini led off the game with
Strong Pitching, Hot Bats Lead AquaSox To Win
EUGENE, OREGON: The Everett AquaSox hit four home runs while starting pitcher Marcelo Perez pitched six strong innings on the way to a 6-1 victory over the Eugene Emeralds. The win was the team’s third straight and keeps the AquaSox within a game and a half out of first place
Montes and Suisbel Homer in Sox 6-5 Win
EUGENE, OREGON: Lazaro Montes and Luis Suisbel hit back to back home runs in the fifth inning, propelling the Everett AquaSox into a lead that they would not relinquish on the way to a 6-5 victory over the Eugene Emeralds. The win pulls the AquaSox to within a game and
4th of July Pre-Game Picnic Packages On Sale Now
Since 1776, Americans have passionately celebrated their independence by doing the things Americans love - eating and watching sports. The Everett AquaSox are proud to continue this tradition on Friday, July 4th when we host a picnic of patriotic flare. The picnic will occur before the AquaSox take on the
AquaSox Flex Muscles in 13-4 Victory Sunday
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: Powered by five home runs, including three consecutively, the Everett AquaSox blasted their way past the Spokane Indians 13-4 in front of a season high 3,716 fans on Sunday Fun Day at Funko Field. AquaSox starting pitcher Evan Truitt had his best performance of the year. He threw
Pagliarini Stellar in 6-3 AquaSox Loss
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: Despite hitting two home runs, the Everett AquaSox fell to the Spokane Indians 6-3 in front of 2,648 fans at Funko Field on Saturday night. Spokane led 3-0 after three innings of competition. They broke on the board first during the top of the second as Jean Perez
Cole Young To Make MLB Debut
EVERETT, WA: Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Justin Hollander announced today that they had called up former Everett AquaSox Cole Young. Cole joined the AquaSox on July 14, 2023 and appeared in 48 games hitting .292 (56x192).
Everett Belts Three Homers In 8-3 Win
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: A trio of home runs and elite pitching propelled the Everett AquaSox to an 8-3 victory over the Spokane Indians in front of 2,727 fans at Funko Field on Funko Friday. Charlie Condon smashed a two-run home run during the top of the first inning, providing Spokane with
Colt Emerson Walks Off Spokane in 10
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: Stellar team hitting from the Everett AquaSox propelled them to a five-run comeback and a 9-8 walk-off victory over the Spokane Indians in 10 innings on Thursday night at Funko Field.
Sox Hitters Cold Wednesday Night
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: The Everett AquaSox fell to the Spokane Indians 10-2 in front of 1,362 fans at Funko Field on Wednesday evening. In the top of the first, Cole Messina hit an RBI single, and in the next frame, Jean Perez cleared the fences by hitting a solo home run
Late Sox Comeback Falls Short In 4-3 Loss
EVERETT, WASHINGTON: Despite a ninth-inning comeback, the Everett AquaSox fell to the Spokane Indians 4-3 at Funko Field in front of 2,580 fans on Memorial Day. Spokane powered their way ahead in the top of the second inning, hitting two solo home runs. Andy Perez opened the scoring by hitting
Suisbel’s Two Doubles Not Enough in Hops Series Finale
HILLSBORO, OREGON: Right-handed pitcher Evan Truitt had a very efficient beginning to his start, throwing three scoreless innings in only 35 pitches. The AquaSox offense provided Truitt some run support in the top of the fourth inning, jumping ahead 2-0. After Freuddy Batista and Lazaro Montes hit consecutive singles, Luis
Cijntje Earns Fourth Win in 3-2 Sox Victory
HILLSBORO, OREGON: Switch-handed pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje dazzled Saturday, earning his fourth consecutive victory as the Everett AquaSox defeated the Hillsboro Hops 3-2 at Hillsboro Ballpark. Everett scored their first run three batters into the game. After Michael Arroyo hit a leadoff single and Colt Emerson doubled, Luis Suisbel reached on
AquaSox Fall to Hops 4-1
HILLSBORO, OREGON: The Everett AquaSox offense fell flat Friday night at Hillsboro Ballpark, plating only one run while falling 4-1 to the Hillsboro Hops. Hillsboro scored the opening run of the game during the bottom of the first inning as Ryan Waldschmidt hit an RBI single. Everett tied the game