MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ANNOUNCES MAY PLAYERS AND PITCHERS OF THE MONTH

New York, NY, June 2, 2021 — Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) today announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners in each of the 11 leagues in Major League Baseball’s player development system.

Triple-A East

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins) outfielder Jesus Sanchez led the Triple-A East in batting average (.410), slugging percentage (.771), OPS (1.214), hits (34) and total bases (64) and finished second in triples (three) and RBI (21). He was third in home runs (seven) and his on-base percentage (.443) was good for fourth in the league. Sanchez, 23, was originally was signed by Tampa Bay as an International Free Agent out of Higuey, Dominican Republic, on July 2, 2014.

Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals) right-hander Jackson Kowar went 5-0 with a 1.01 ERA in five starts. He allowed just 17 hits and three earned runs in 26.2 innings while striking out 36 batters. He held opponents to a .183 batting average. Kowar, 24, was selected by Kansas City in Competitive Balance Round A (33rd overall pick) of the 2018 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida.

Triple-A West

Oklahoma City Dodgers first baseman Rangel Ravelo led the league in batting average (.420), on-base percentage (.529), slugging percentage (.754) and OPS (1.282). He finished second in doubles (eight), fifth in hits (29) and RBI (19) and walked more times (14) than he struck out (nine) in 20 games. Ravelo, 29, was originally selected by the Chicago White Sox in the sixth round of the 2010 MLB Draft out of Hialeah High school in Hialeah, Florida.

Sugar Land Skeeters (Astros) right-hander Brett Conine went 4-0 with a 0.95 ERA in four games (three starts). He allowed 11 hits and two earned runs over 19.0 innings as he held opponents to a .167 batting average. Conine, 24, was selected by Houston in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of California State University-Fullerton.

Double-A Central

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals) first baseman Nick Pratto batted .310 in May and led the league in home runs (nine), walks (19), total bases (57), slugging percentage (.731) and OPS (1.176) and was second in on-base percentage (.446). He finished the month fourth in runs scored (17) and RBI (17). Pratto, 22, was selected by Kansas City in the first round (14th overall) of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Huntington Beach High school in Huntington Beach, California.

Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) left-hander Ian McKinney went 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in four starts. He allowed 14 hits and three earned runs while striking out 37 over 23.0 innings. He held opponents to a .169 average and threw a seven-inning complete game on May 20 at Corpus Christi. McKinney, 26, was originally selected by St. Louis in the fifth round of the 2013 MLB Draft out of William Boone High school in Orlando, Florida.

Double-A Northeast

Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) outfielder Jacob Robson led the league in batting average (.424), on-base percentage (.531) and OPS (1.243) and was second in slugging percentage (.712), total bases (47) and triples (three). He finished third in hits (28) and fourth in doubles (nine). Robson, 26, was selected by Detroit in the eighth round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Mississippi State University.

Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) right-hander Matt Frisbee was 4-1 with a 1.24 ERA in five starts. He held opponents to a .112 batting average as he allowed 11 hits over 29 innings. He struck out 32 batters while walking just one. Frisbee, 24, was selected by San Francisco in the 15th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

Double-A South

Birmingham Barons (White Sox) outfielder Zack Granite led the league in runs (17), total bases (49), triples (three), RBI (18), slugging percentage (.590) and OPS (.970). He was fourth in home runs (five) and fifth in hits (23) and stolen bases (five). Granite, 28, was originally selected by Minnesota in the 14th round of the 2013 MLB Draft out of Seton Hall University.

Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds) left-hander Nick Lodolo went 2-0 with a 1.01 ERA in five starts. He held opponents to a .172 batting average as he allowed 16 hits in 26.2 innings while striking out 38. Lodolo, 23, was selected by Cincinnati in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Texas Christian University.

High-A Central

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers) outfielder Korry Howell led the league in batting average (.326), runs (25), total bases (53), slugging percentage (.616) and OPS (1.038). He was second in hits (28) and home runs (six) and third in on-base percentage (.422). Howell, 22, was selected by Milwaukee in the 12th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres) left-hander Ethan Elliott went 1-1 with a 1.46 ERA in five starts, allowing just four earned runs on 11 hits over 24.2 innings. He struck out 38 as he held opponents to a .131 average. Elliott, 24, was selected by San Diego in the 10th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.

High-A East

Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees) infielder Oswald Peraza led the league in total bases (53), doubles (eight) and stolen bases (15), while finishing second in hits (30) and fifth in batting average (.323). His month included a four-hit game and a five-hit game. Peraza, 20, was signed by New York as an International Free Agent out of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, on July 2, 2016. Aberdeen Ironbirds (Orioles) right-hander Grayson Rodriguez went 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA in five starts. He held opponents to a .138 batting average as he allowed 11 hits in 23.1 innings while striking out 40 and issuing five walks. Rodriguez, 21, was selected by Baltimore in the first round (11th overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches, Texas.

High-A West

Everett AquaSox (Mariners) outfielder Jack Larsen led the league in batting average (.337), hits (28), doubles (10), RBI (16) slugging percentage (.602) and OPS (1.019), while finishing second in total bases (50) and third in on-base percentage (.417). Larsen, 26, was signed by Seattle as a non-drafted free agent on June 19, 2017 out of the University of California-San Diego. Eugene Emeralds (Giants) right-hander Caleb Kilian went 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA in four starts before a promotion to Double-A Richmond. He allowed nine hits and three earned runs over 21.2 innings and struck out 32 while walking just one. Opponents batted just .122 against him. Kilian, 23, was selected by San Francisco in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech University. Low-A East Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles) infielder Gunnar Henderson batted .313 in May and led the league in RBI (30). He was second in home runs (six), runs (21) and total bases (49) and third in slugging percentage (.613). Henderson, 19, was selected by Baltimore in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Morgan High School in Selma, Alabama. Charleston RiverDogs (Rays) left-hander John Doxakis went 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA in five starts as he allowed two earned runs on seven hits in 22.0 innings. He struck out 33 and walked three as opponents batted .096 against him. Doxakis, 22, was selected by Tampa Bay in the second round (61st overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M University.

Low-A Southeast

Tampa Tarpons (Yankees) infielder Trevor Hauver led the league in home runs (six), RBI (22), total bases (50), walks (27), on-base percentage (.491), slugging percentage (.633) and OPS (1.124). He was second in runs (22) and fifth in hits (25) and batting average (.316). Hauver, 22, was selected by New York (AL) in the third round (99th overall) of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Arizona State University. Daytona Tortugas (Reds) right-hander James Proctor went 2-0 with a 0.45 ERA in five appearances (four starts) as he allowed two runs (one earned) over 20.0 innings. He held opponents to a .136 batting average and struck out 30 batters. Proctor, 22, was signed by Cincinnati as a non-drafted free agent on June 23, 2020, out of Princeton University.

Low-A West

Modesto Nuts (Mariners) outfielder Cade Marlowe led the league in batting average (.358), hits (29), runs (23), total bases (52), on-base percentage (.465), slugging percentage (.642) and OPS (1.107). He finished second in RBI (20) and triples (three) and fifth in home runs (four). Marlowe, 23, was selected by Seattle in the 20th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia. Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) left-hander Brent Killam was 1-1 with a 1.42 ERA in four starts as he allowed four runs (three earned) over 19.0 innings. He held opponents to a .131 batting average and struck out 34, including 10 of the 11 batters he retired on May 6 against Rancho Cucamonga. Killam, 23, was selected by Anaheim in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Georgetown University.