Topps announces May's top players
The Topps Company of New York, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, announces the winners.
Shelly Duncan (27) of Tucson, AZ, hit .297 with six homers and 17 RBI for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees last month. The outfielder/designated hitter added eight doubles, scored 22 runs and hit safely in 19 of 27 International League games. The New York Yankees selected Duncan with their second round pick in 2001 out of the University of Arizona.
Craig Brazell (27) of Montgomery, AL, began the season in Double-A, but didn't stay there very long. After hitting .349 with seven homers through May 8, the Kansas City Royals promoted him to Triple-A. Brazell quickly made his presence known to the Pacific Coast League by hitting .308 with a league-best 13 homers for the Omaha Royals. Brazell's 21 overall home runs lead Minor League Baseball. Originally drafted in the 5th round in 1998 by the Mets, Brazell signed with Kansas City as a free agent last December.
Caleb Stewart (24) of Rush, KY, got off to a slow start this season for the Binghamton Mets, hitting just .256 in April. However, the outfielder greatly improved in May, hitting an Eastern League best .364 for the month. His 29 RBIs were tops in the league as well for the period. Stewart hit six doubles, scored 24 runs and smacked a half-dozen homers. The New York Mets selected Stewart in the 22nd round in 2004 out of the University of Kentucky.
Evan Longoria (21) of Downey, CA, hit .317 with 21 runs, six doubles, seven homers and 25 RBI in May. The Montgomery Biscuits third baseman had seven multi-RBI games and a .410 on-base percentage. He tied for the Southern League lead in homers for the month and his RBI and total bases were tied for third best. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays tabbed Longoria with the third overall pick in the 2006 draft.
Colby Rasmus (20) of Phenix City, AL, is another player who rebounded from a slow April with a strong May. The Springfield Cardinals outfielder hit more than 100 points higher last month than he did in April in claiming Texas League honors. Rasmus hit .340 in May and led the league in homers (8), RBI (24) and total bases (72). On May 29 he drove in a career high seven runs with two doubles and a three-run homer. The St. Louis Cardinals selected Rasmus in the first round (28th overall) out of Russell County (AL) High School.
Aaron Bates (23) of Los Gatos, CA, set a California League record when he homered four times in a game on May 19. The Lancaster JetHawks first baseman hit .340 in May with seven doubles and 24 RBI. The cleanup hitter also showed a keen eye, walking 21 times in 28 games. The Boston Red Sox picked Bates in the third round in 2006 out of North Carolina State University.
Mitch Einertson (21) of Oceanside, CA, paced the Carolina League with a .400 batting average for the Salem Avalanche. The outfielder had a dozen doubles, a triple, two homers and 27 RBI. Einertson had three games in which he plated three runs and another three when he drove in four. The Houston Astros drafted him in the 5th round out of Rancho Buena Vista (CA) High School in 2004.
Ian Kennedy (22) of Henderson, NV, was a perfect 5-0 with a 0.70 ERA for the Tampa Yankees in May. The right-hander allowed just 21 hits and three earned runs, while striking out 44 in 38.2 innings. Florida State League hitters luckily won't have to face him anymore. The New York Yankees, who selected Kennedy in the 1st round (21st overall) out of the University of Southern California in 2006, promoted him to Double-A Trenton at the beginning of June.
Chris Pettit (22) of San Dimas, CA, has hit ever since the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim drafted him in the 19th round out of Loyola Marymount University in 2006. After hitting .336 at short-season Orem last year, the Cedar Rapids Kernels outfielder posted a .348 average in April and .373 in May. Pettit's 15-game hitting streak was also the longest in the Midwest League for the month. He also laced 14 doubles, scored 20 times and had a 1.012 OPS.
Justin Maxwell (23) of Bethesda, MD, hit .320 with seven home runs and 18 RBI for the Hagerstown Suns in the South Atlantic League. The outfielder had ten multi-hit games, five doubles, a triple and scored 24 runs. The Washington Nationals drafted him in the 4th round in 2005 out of the University of Maryland.