Minor League Baseball Announces July Uncle Ray’s Players of the Month

15 organizations represented by July winners 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 6, 2019 — Minor League Baseball today announced the Uncle Ray’s Player of the Month Award winners for each of the 16 leagues for the month of July. In recognition of the honor, each winner will receive an award from Minor League Baseball and Uncle Ray’s, the “Official Potato Chip of Minor League Baseball.” 

Rochester Red Wings (Twins) right fielder Jaylin Davis led the International League in home runs (11), RBI (27), runs (30), hits (39), total bases (80), slugging percentage (.755) and OPS (1.197). He was third in average (.368) and on-base percentage (.442). He recorded 14 multi-hit games and started the month with a nine-game hitting streak that included seven multi-hit affairs. Davis was traded to the San Francisco Giants on July 31 in exchange for right-hander Sam Dyson. Davis, 25, was selected by Minnesota in the 24th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Appalachian State University. 

Oklahoma City Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux led the Pacific Coast League in batting average (.435), runs (29), on-base percentage (.519), OPS (1.356) and triples (four) and was second in hits (40), third in slugging percentage (.837), fourth in total bases (77) and sixth in RBI (26). Lux recorded 12 multi-hit games in July and posted hitting streaks of 13 games (July 1–19) and eight games (July 21–31). In a four-game series at Iowa July 15–18, Lux went 12-for-18 (.667) with two doubles, five homers and 11 RBI. Lux, 21, was selected by Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Indian Trail High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) left-hander Daniel McGrath went 2-0 in six July starts, leading the Eastern League with a 0.24 ERA. He finished second in innings pitched (37.0), batting average against (.151) and WHIP (0.89) and fourth in strikeouts (35). McGrath did not allow an earned run in five of his six starts. In his four no-decisions, he left one game with the lead and left the other three in scoreless games after six, seven and eight innings respectively. McGrath, 25, was signed by Boston as an international free agent on Feb. 7, 2012, out of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 

Jackson Generals (Diamondbacks) first baseman Pavin Smith led the Southern League in average (.341), RBI (18), total bases (55), slugging percentage (.604) and OPS (.998). He finished second in hits (31) and fourth in on-base percentage (.394).He recorded a nine-game hitting streak July 6-19 and finished the month on a seven-game streak that began on July 25. Smith, 23, was selected by Arizona in the first round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Virginia.  

Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) left fielder Seth Beer batted .337 in July and led the Texas League in home runs (nine), runs (24), total bases (63), on-base percentage (.462), slugging percentage (.663) and OPS (1.125), and finished second in RBI (24). On July 31, Beer was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Zack Greinke trade and is currently playing for the Jackson Generals in the Southern League. Beer, 22, was originally selected by Houston in the first round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Clemson University. 

Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino (Angels) center fielder Gareth Morgan batted .310 in July and led the California League in home runs (12), RBI (28), total bases (77), slugging percentage (.664) and OPS (1.014), and was second in runs scored (21) and third in hits (36). Morgan posted two six-game hitting streaks, a seven-game streak and 10 multi-hit games in July. Morgan, 23, was originally selected by Seattle in Competitive Balance Round B of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of North Toronto Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Ontario. 

Down East Wood Ducks (Rangers) first baseman Curtis Terry led the Carolina League in home runs (five), hits (37), total bases (60), slugging percentage (.600) and OPS (1.002). He finished second in batting average (.370) and fourth in runs (17) and on-base percentage (.402). Terry recorded 10 multi-hit games in July and hit in eight straight games July 10–18. Terry, 22, was selected by Texas in the 13th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Archer High School in Lawrenceville, Georgia. 

Bradenton Marauders (Pirates) shortstop Oneil Cruz led the Florida State League in home runs (six), total bases (53), slugging percentage (.596) and OPS (.958), was second in average (.326) and third in runs scored (16). Cruz hit safely in 19 of 23 games with 10 multi-hit efforts for the Marauders in July before a July 29 promotion to Double-A Altoona. Cruz, 20, was originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers  out of Nizao, Dominican Republic, on July 2, 2015. 

Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals) third baseman Brendan Donovan led the Midwest League in batting average (.390), on-base percentage (.489), slugging percentage (.675) and OPS (1.164), while finishing second in runs (24) and third in doubles (nine) and triples (two). Donovan recorded 10 multi-hit games in July, including five straight from July 17–21, which helped raise his season average from .227 to .268. Donovan, 22, was selected by St. Louis in the seventh round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of South Alabama. 

Augusta Green Jackets (Giants) pitcher Seth Corry led the South Atlantic League in wins (six), ERA (0.54), WHIP (0.57) and batting average against (.123) and was second in strikeouts (43). He did not allow an earned run in five of his six starts, allowed more than two hits just once and walked more than one batter only once. Corry, 20, was selected by San Francisco in the third round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah. 

Staten Island Yankees second baseman Ezequiel Duran batted .333 and led the New York-Penn League in hits (36), runs (23), total bases (68), home runs (seven), slugging percentage (.630) and OPS (1.022), while finishing second in RBI (20) and triples (two). He recorded 16 extra-base hits and posted 12 multi-hit games, including five straight games from July 13–18. Duran, 20, was signed by New York out of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, on July 2, 2017. 

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Giants) right fielder Franklin Labour batted .314 in July and led the Northwest League in home runs (nine), runs (22), total bases (70), slugging percentage (.667) and OPS (1.062). He finished second in hits (33), third in doubles (eight) and fourth in RBI (20). Labour hit safely in 16 straight games July 1–19 and recorded 18 extra-base hits and 10 multi-hit games before an August 1 promotion to Class-A Augusta. Labour, 21, was signed by San Francisco out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on July 2, 2015. 

Burlington Royals catcher Logan Porter led the Appalachian League in batting average (.382), on-base percentage (.520), slugging percentage (.724) and OPS (1.244). He finished second in total bases (55) and third in doubles (eight). He reached base safely in 12 straight games July 4–20 and recorded 14 extra-base hits. Porter, 24, attended Dixie State University and was signed by Kansas City as a free agent on June 18, 2018. 

Grand Junction Rockies shortstop Christian Koss led the Pioneer League in RBI (29), total bases (66), on-base percentage (.482) and OPS (1.207) and was second in batting average (.374), hits (34), home runs (seven) and slugging percentage (.725). He finished third in the league in runs (20) and triples (two). Koss posted 12 multi-hit games, including six straight from July 5–12. Koss, 21, was selected by Colorado in the 12th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of California-Irvine. 

AZL Padres shortstop CJ Abrams batted .367 in July and led the Arizona League in hits (33) and triples (six), and he finished second in total bases (62) and slugging percentage (.667). Abrams finished third in doubles (nine) and sixth in runs (21) and OPS (1.075). Abrams posted 11 multi-hit games in 20 July contests and hit in 10 straight games July 1–14. Abrams, 18, was selected by San Diego in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia. 

GCL Nationals shortstop Junior Martina led the Gulf Coast League in on-base percentage (.488) and OPS (1.039) and was second in batting average (.362). He finished third in runs (17), hits (25), total bases (38), triples (two) and slugging percentage (.551). Martina reached base safely in 18 of the 20 games in which he had a plate appearance. Martina, 21, was selected by Washington in the 16th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Western Oklahoma State College.

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