Correa, McCullers win Astros' May honors
Shortstop Carlos Correa is the Quad Cities River Bandits Player of the Month for May, and right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers is the team's Pitcher of the Month, the Houston Astros announced on Thursday.
The Houston Astros Player Development Department named a Pitcher and Player of the Month at each of their four in-season minor league affiliates. These awards are chosen every month by the field staff of each team. For Correa and McCullers, the Astros' 2012 first-round draft picks, the awards come one day after they were named to their first professional All-Star Game, which will be June 18 in Dayton, Ohio.
Correa, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, led the River Bandits in May with a .349 batting average, 30 hits, 38 total bases and 18 RBIs. He had six doubles, a triple and a .423 on-base percentage in 22 games, which included a career-high, 10-game hitting streak May 11-19. He currently leads the River Bandits with 34 RBIs and 14 multi-hit games and is tied for the team lead with three home runs. On Wednesday, the 18-year-old Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, native was named the starting shortstop for the Western Division All-Stars and was the youngest player selected to the Midwest League's All-Star rosters.
McCullers, the Astros first supplemental round pick in 2012, earned his first career win May 28 to cap a month in which he had a 1.88 ERA in seven appearances, including four starts. In 24 innings, the 19-year-old Tampa, Fla., native struck out 26 batters. He posted a career-high nine strikeouts in five shutout innings at West Michigan May 5 and did not allow more than two earned runs in any May appearance. After winning his last start June 2 at Beloit, McCullers has a Midwest League-leading 1.70 ERA. He will be on the pitching staff for the Western Division All-Stars June 18.
Through Wednesday, the four active Astros minor league affiliates each have a winning record and are a combined 135-96 for a .584 winning percentage - the best among any organization's minor league system. Quad Cities is in third place in the Midwest League Western Division, while the other three affiliates - advanced Class-A Lancaster, Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Oklahoma City - are each in first place in their respective divisions.
UP NEXT: Reservations can be made from now until June 10 for the River Bandits Father's Day Cookout and pre-game catch scheduled for Sunday, June 16. Check out www.riverbandits.com for details or call 563-324-3000. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 112 feet over the playing field, is planned for the ballpark, along with a new dual zip line, a carousel, a Mediacom Frog Hopper, new bounce houses and many other fun attractions. The team also boasts a new major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, and fans will see last year's No. 1 overall draft pick, Carlos Correa. The Astros will also make the very first selection in the major league draft on June 6 and could have another top pick end up in the Quad Cities. With new rides, new attractions, new improvements, a new affiliate and future major league stars, this season will be one every fan will not want to miss!