Minor League Baseball Announces its April Players of the Month

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                       May 8, 2017

Minor League Baseball Announces its April Players of the Month

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Minor League Baseball today announced the Player of the Month Award winners for each of the 10 full season leagues for the month of April. Each winner will receive an award from Minor League Baseball in recognition of the honor.

Durham Bulls (Rays) third baseman Patrick Leonard led the International League in batting average (.412), hits (35), RBI (17), runs scored (17) and on-base percentage (.474). Leonard recorded 10 multi-hit games in April and posted a five-hit night on April 27. Leonard, 24, was originally selected by the Kansas City Royals in the fifth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of St.Thomas High School in Houston, Texas.

El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres) first baseman Jamie Romak was named Pacific Coast League Player of the Month after leading all of Minor League Baseball in home runs (11), extra-base hits (19), total bases (74), slugging percentage (.860) and OPS (1.274). He also led the Triple-A level in runs (23) and RBI (25). Romak, 31, was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the fourth round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft out of A.B. Lucas Secondary School in London, Ontario.

Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) infielder Ryan McMahon led the Eastern League in hits (30), total bases (54) and RBIs (20) in April and tied for the league lead in triples (2). He was second in extra-base hits (14), OPS (1.097) and doubles (8), while his

average (.375) and slugging percentage (.675) were third-best in the league. McMahon, 22, was selected by Colorado in the second round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Reds) right-hander Tyler Mahle dominated the Southern League in April and threw the league’s first perfect game in 47 years on April 22 against Mobile. Mahle needed just 88 pitches to blank the BayBears and took perfect games into the fifth inning in three of his five April starts. Mahle led the Double-A level in innings pitched (32.2) and WHIP (0.52) and led the Southern League in ERA (0.55) and opponents’ batting average (.104). Mahle, 22, was selected by Cincinnati in the seventh round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Westminster (CA) High School.

Springfield Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty was dominant in the first month of the Texas League season, going 4-0 with a 0.56 ERA in five starts. He led the league with 32.1 innings pitched and his 28 strikeouts were one shy of the league lead. Flaherty held batters to a .191 average (allowed just three extra-base hits: one homer, a triple and a double) and left his only no-decision of the month with a 9-1 lead. Flaherty, 21, was selected by St. Louis in the first round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Studio City, California.

Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) first baseman Josh Naylor led the California League in RBI (23), extra-base hits (11) and total bases (52) in April. His 30 hits were one shy of the league lead. Naylor posted hitting streaks of seven and eight games in April,

including a stretch of five consecutive multi-hit games April 24-28. Naylor, 19, was originally selected in the first round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft by the Miami Marlins out of Saint Joan of Arc Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario.

Lynchburg Hillcats (Indians) left-hander Thomas Pannone dominated the Carolina League in April, allowing just seven hits (four singles and three doubles) over four starts (20.2 innings). The only run he allowed was unearned, while his WHIP (0.68) and average against (.106) led the league. Left-handed batters were 1-for-19 (.053) against Pannone, who was promoted to Double-A Akron on May 5. Pannone, 23, was selected by Cleveland in the ninth round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of the College of Southern Nevada.

Lakeland Flying Tigers (Tigers) right-hander Beau Burrows went 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA in five starts in April to claim Player of the Month honors in the Florida State League. Burrows did not allow a run in three of his five starts and allowed just four earned runs

over 27.2 innings. He left with a lead in both outings in which he did not factor in the decision. Burrows, 20, was selected by Detroit in the first round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Weatherford (TX) High School.

Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays) first baseman Bradley Jones led the Midwest League in home runs (six), RBI (23) and total bases (58), while finishing second in average (.372), hits (32), slugging (.674) and OPS (1.089). He recorded 10 multi-hit games and

separate hit streaks of seven and eight games in April. Jones, 21, was selected by Toronto in the 18th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of the College of Charleston.

Columbia Fireflies (Mets) right-hander Merandy Gonzalez dominated the South Atlantic League in four April starts, going 4-0 without allowing a run in 28.1 innings. Gonzalez allowed just 15 hits (11 singles, three doubles and a triple) and walked three

while striking out 23 as opponents batted just .160 against him in April. Gonzalez, 21, was signed by the Mets out of Cotui, Dominican Republic, in 2013.

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