RBI Leader Matt McBride Highlights May Topps Player of the Month Winners
Colorado Springs catcher Matt McBride, who led all Minor League Baseball™ players with 31 RBI and an .811 slugging percentage last month, and a pair of pitchers with earned run averages under one are among those who have been honored with their league's May Topps Player of the Month award. The Topps Company of New York, N.Y., in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, announces the winners.
Travis Ishikawa (29) of Danville, Calif., had hits in 18 of his 21 games in batting .413 for the Norfolk Tides. The first baseman was second in the International League in batting, OPS (1.275) and slugging percentage (.787) and tied for second with 24 RBI and a .489 on-base percentage. The Baltimore Orioles signed Ishikawa as a free agent in December.
Matt McBride (28) of Bethlehem, Pa., hit .358 and led the Pacific Coast League in RBI (31), slugging percentage (.811) and OPS (1.195). The Colorado Springs Sky Sox catcher tied for the league lead in home runs (7) and extra-base hits (20). The Colorado Rockies acquired McBride as part of the Ubaldo Jimenez trade with Cleveland in July 2011.
Mark Minicozzi (30) of Wayne, Pa., led all Eastern League players in batting average (.427), runs scored (26), hits (44), on-base percentage (.508) and OPS (1.169). The Richmond Flying Squirrels third baseman ranked second in the league in in total bases (68), RBI (25) and slugging percentage (.660). Minicozzi reached base in 26 of the 27 games he played and also had a 15 game hitting streak. The San Francisco Giants signed him as a free agent in May 2012.
Archie Bradley (20) of Muskogee, Okla., went 4-1 and led all Southern League starters with a 0.79 ERA. The Mobile BayBears right-hander ranked third in average against (.182) and fourth with 37 strikeouts. In 34.0 innings, Bradley allowed just 22 hits. The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him in the first round (seventh overall) out of high school in 2011.
Anthony Aliotti (25) of Concord, Calif., paced the Texas League in batting average (.400), hits (42), total bases (72), extra-base hits (18), doubles (12), walks (22) and on-base percentage (.496). The Midland RockHounds first baseman ranked second in slugging (.686), OPS (1.182) and RBI (24). Aliotti had 13 multi-hit games and a 17 game on-base streak. The Oakland Athletics took him in the 15th round in 2009 out of St. Mary's (CA) College.
Zach Borenstein (22) of Buffalo Grove, Ill., hit .356 and led the California League with 70 total bases. The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino outfielder also ranked in the top five in extra-base hits (17), homers (7) and OPS (1.085). Borenstein had a dozen multi-hit contests and a 12 game hitting streak. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim drafted him in the 23rd round in 2011 out of Eastern Illinois University.
Jeremy Farrell (26) of Long Branch, N.J., hit safely in his first eight May games, as part of a 10 game hitting streak. The Winston-Salem Dash third baseman tied for the Carolina League lead with 23 RBI and was second in homers (5), slugging percentage (.534) and OPS (.920). He also ranked in the top five in batting average (.320) and extra-base hits (12). The Chicago White Sox signed Farrell, son of Boston Red Sox Manager John Farrell, as a free agent in April.
D.J. Baxendale (22) of Rogers, Ark., went 3-0 and topped the Florida State League with a miniscule 0.32 ERA. The Ft. Myers Miracle right-hander led all league starters with a 0.64 WHIP and a .137 batting average against. The Minnesota Twins, who drafted Baxendale in the 10th round in 2012 out of the University of Arkansas, promoted him to Double-A New Britain on May 26.
Gustavo Pierre (21) of La Romana, D.R., batted .391 with a pair of homers and 16 RBI. His average was 42 points higher than his closest pursuer in the Midwest League. The Lansing Lugnuts third baseman had 12 multi-hit games, including five in his last six May contests. The Toronto Blue Jays signed Pierre as a free agent in July 2008.
Rosell Herrera (20) of Santo Domingo, D.R., had hits in 21 of 28 games in batting .324 for the Asheville Tourists. The shortstop finished among the top five in the South Atlantic League in doubles (11), extra-base hits (16), RBI (24) and on-base percentage (.438). The Colorado Rockies signed Herrera as a free agent in July 2009.
PLAYER-OF-THE-MONTH STATISTICS FOR MAY 2013
|
League |
Winner |
Club/Org. |
POS. |
AVG. |
HR |
RBI |
W-L |
ERA |
|
International |
Travis Ishikawa |
Norfolk/BAL |
1B |
.413 |
7 |
24 |
|
|
|
Pacific Coast |
Matt McBride |
Colorado Springs/ COL |
C |
.358 |
11 |
31 |
|
|
|
Eastern |
Mark Minicozzi |
Richmond/SF |
3B |
.427 |
5 |
25 |
|
|
|
Southern |
Archie Bradley |
Mobile/ARZ |
P |
|
|
|
4-1 |
0.79 |
|
Texas |
Anthony Aliotti |
Midland/OAK |
1B |
.400 |
6 |
24 |
|
|
|
California |
Zach Borenstein |
Inland Empire/LA-AL |
OF |
.356 |
7 |
20 |
|
|
|
Carolina |
Jeremy Farrell |
Winston-Salem/CHI-AL |
3B |
.320 |
5 |
23 |
|
|
|
Florida State |
D.J. Baxendale |
Ft. Myers/MIN |
P |
|
|
|
3-0 |
0.32 |
|
Midwest |
Gustavo Pierre |
Lansing/TOR |
3B |
.391 |
2 |
16 |
|
|
|
S. Atlantic |
Rosell Herrera |
Asheville/COL |
SS |
.324 |
5 |
24 |
|
|
Statistics provided by Major League Baseball Advanced Media