Billy Cook Named Indians June Player of the Month

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians today named outfielder Billy Cook as their June Player of the Month. Cook currently leads qualified Triple-A hitters in batting average and on-base percentage for the month.

Cook, 26, is hitting .410 (25-for-61) with a .493 on-base percentage and, in addition to his Triple-A leading marks, leads Indians batters in OPS (1.034) and doubles (T-1st, 5) through 18 games. Cook’s batting average through June 26 is the second-highest by an International League hitter with at least 70 plate appearances in a calendar month this season, following Iowa’s Moises Ballesteros in April (.420). He is also tied with former major leaguer Nyjer Morgan in Aug. 2008 for the fourth-highest clip by an Indians hitter in a month, under the same restraints, since at least 2005.

He began the month with six multi-hit performances in seven games through June 7 at Memphis. In that span, his 12 hits trailed only Pirates No. 2 prospect Konnor Griffin (13) in Single-A Bradenton for the most hits by a full-season minor leaguer. Cook also ranked among full-season minor leaguers in batting average (7th, .522) and on-base percentage (8th, .607) through June 7.

Cook’s impressive month led to a brief run with Pittsburgh. In three games after being recalled on June 18, he went 2-for-6 (.333) with one run.

The Layton, Utah native was selected by Baltimore in the 10th round (287th overall) of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Pepperdine (Malibu, Calif.) University. He was traded to Pittsburgh from Baltimore on July 30, 2024, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Patrick Reilly. He made his major league debut on Sept. 8, 2024, vs. Washington.