Minor League Baseball Announces its July Players of the Month

Six players picked in the 17 th round or later and four first round picks claim awards 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Minor League Baseball today announced the Player of the Month Award winners for each of the 16 leagues for the month of July. Each winner will receive an award from Minor League Baseball in recognition of the honor. 

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies) infielder Mitch Walding batted .326 in July and led the International League in home runs (10), runs scored (21) and total bases (63). Walding recorded 10 multi-hit games, and three multi-homer games in July, highlighted by a July 28 doubleheader in which he was 5-for-7 with a double, three home runs, four runs scored and 10 RBI with three three-run homers on the day. Walding, 25, was selected by Philadelphia in the fifth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of St. Mary’s University in Stockton, California. 

Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) outfielder Adolis Garcia batted .354 in July and led the Pacific Coast League in extra-base hits (19), total bases (74), home runs (10), slugging (.771) and OPS (1.145), while finishing second in RBI (25). Garcia, 25, was signed by St. Louis out of Ciego de Avila, Cuba, on Feb. 24, 2017. 

Bowie Baysox (Orioles) catcher Martin Cervenka batted .364 in July and led the Eastern League in slugging (.758) and OPS (1.193). He finished second in home runs (seven) and RBI (25). Cervenka, 26, was originally signed by the Cleveland Indians out of Prague, Czech Republic, on June 19, 2011. 

Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers) outfielder Corey Ray led the Southern League in home runs (11), extra-base hits (20), total bases (76), slugging percentage (.628), runs (25) and RBI (27). Ray’s 20 extra-base hits led professional baseball, while he finished second in stolen bases (13) and fourth in OPS (.961). Ray, 23, was selected by Milwaukee in the first round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Louisville. 

Tulsa Drillers (Dodgers) outfielder Jacob Scavuzzo led the Texas League in extra-base hits (18), total bases (75), home runs (10), RBI (30), slugging (.708) and OPS (1.090). He finished third in average (.349) and hits (37). Scavuzzo, 24, was selected by the Dodgers in the 21st round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Villa Park High School in Villa Park, California. 

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Dodgers) shortstop Gavin Lux batted .360 in July and led the California League in hits (41), runs (23) and total bases (64). Lux hit safely in 24 of his 26 games, posting 15 multi-hit games and hitting in 16 straight games from July 1–19. Lux, 20, was selected by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Indian Trail High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

Carolina Mudcats (Brewers) outfielder Weston Wilson led the Carolina League in batting average (.436), hits (41), on-base percentage (.481) and OPS (1.162). He was second in runs (22), total bases (64) and slugging (681) and third in RBI (23). Weston had 12 multi-hit games and a 12-game hitting streak from July 1–13. Wilson, 23, was selected by Milwaukee in the 17th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Clemson University. 

Fort Myers Miracle (Twins) outfielder Alex Kirilloff led the Florida State League in average (.396), hits (40), total bases (62), extra-base hits (16), slugging (.614) and OPS (1.036). He finished second in runs (20) and third in RBI (20). Kirilloff had 13 multi-hit games in July, including six straight, and had a 13-game hitting streak from July 13–29. He also won the Midwest League Player of the Month Award in May with Cedar Rapids. Kirilloff, 20, was selected by Minnesota in the first round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Plum High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals) third baseman Elehuris Montero batted .359 in 25 games in July and led the Midwest League in doubles (10) and OPS (1.056), while finishing second in runs (20), extra-base hits (15), total bases (58) and slugging (.630). He was third in homers (five), RBI (20) and average (.359). Montero had nine multi-hit games in July. Montero, 19, was signed by St. Louis out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Aug. 29, 2014. 

Greenville Drive (Red Sox) right-hander Denyi Reyes went 4-0 with a 1.85 ERA (34.0 IP, 7 ER) in five starts to claim South Atlantic League Player of the Month honors. Reyes struck out 30 and did not walk a batter in July while holding opponents to a .177 batting average. He allowed only 10 hits over his last three starts (20.0 IP) and threw a seven-inning complete game July 25. Reyes, 21, was signed by Boston out of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, in 2014. 

 Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Indians) outfielder Hosea Nelson batted .340 in July and led the New York-Penn League in RBI (22) and slugging (.553) while finishing second in hits (35), home runs (five), extra-base hits (12) and total bases (57). He recorded 10 multi-hit games in July. Nelson, 21, was selected by Cleveland in the ninth round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Clarendon College in Clarendon, Texas. 

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Giants) catcher Joey Bart batted .333 in July and led the Northwest League in home runs (nine), RBI (24), extrabase hits (18), total bases (65), slugging (.747) and OPS (1.126). His nine doubles were fourth best in the league and Bart posted a 10-game hitting streak from July 8–19. Bart, 21, was selected by San Francisco in the first round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Georgia Tech University. 

Greeneville Reds first baseman Rylan Thomas batted .316 for the month and led the Appalachian League in home runs (nine), extra-base hits (15), slugging percentage (.734) and OPS (1.230). He was second in total bases (58) and walks (27), while finishing third in on-base percentage (.495). His 1.230 OPS in July led all of professional baseball (Major Leagues and Minor Leagues). Thomas, 21, was selected by Cincinnati in the 26th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Central Florida. 

Idaho Falls Chukars (Royals) first baseman Reed Rohlman led the Pioneer Baseball League in average (.426), hits (43), total bases (71), extra-base hits (17), RBI (37), on-base percentage (.508), slugging (.703) and OPS (1.211). He finished second in runs (29), third in doubles (10) and fourth in triples (three). Rohlman posted separate hitting streaks of eight and nine games in July and recorded 15 multi-hit games. Rohlman, 23, was selected by Kansas City in the 35th round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Clemson University. 

Gulf Coast Cardinals outfielder Andrew Warner batted .373 in 21 games in July and led the Gulf Coast League in doubles (12), extra-base hits (17), total bases (54), slugging percentage (.720) and OPS (1.187). He finished second in runs (17) and on-base percentage (.467). He finished third in home runs (three) and RBI (21). Warner, 22, was selected by St. Louis in the 40th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri. 

Arizona Mariners second baseman Beau Branton led the Arizona League in average (.469), on-base percentage (.587) and OPS (1.220) prior to a July 20 promotion to Class-A Advanced Modesto. Branton walked 10 times while striking out just three times and was second in the league in stolen bases (10). Branton, 22, was selected by Seattle in the 28th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Stanford University.

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