MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER PLAYERS AND PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
Winners come from 17 organizations; Astros, Cubs, Mariners, Mets and Orioles each have two winners
Oct. 9, 2023 — Minor League Baseball (MiLB) today announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for September in each of the 11 full-season leagues in Major League Baseball’s player development system.
International League (Triple-A)
Indianapolis Indians (Pirates) outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba batted .417/.475/.625 and led the league in average (.417), doubles (nine) and RBI (24). He finished second in hits (30) and was third in stolen bases (seven), fourth in total bases (47) and fifth in OPS (1.000). Smith-Njigba, 24, was originally selected by New York (AL) in the fourth round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Rockwall-Health High School in Health, Texas.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees) right-hander Will Warren went 1-0 with a 0.63 ERA in five appearances (three starts) as he allowed two earned runs in a league-best 28.2 innings. He led the league in strikeouts (36) and was second in average against (.152) and WHIP (0.91). His two earned runs allowed were the fewest by a pitcher with more than 14.1 innings of work. Warren, 24, was selected by New York (AL) in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Southeastern Louisiana University.
Pacific Coast League (Triple-A)
Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) infielder Ryan Bliss batted .329/.456/.659 and led the league in hits (27), runs (24), home runs (seven) and total bases (54). He was second in slugging percentage (.659) and OPS (1.115) and third in RBI (20). He was fourth in on-base percentage (.456), fifth in average (.329) and walked more times (20) than he struck out (18). Bliss, 23, was originally selected by Arizona in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Auburn University.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros) right-hander Ronel Blanco was 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA in four starts as he allowed two earned runs on eight hits over 22.0 innings. His 27 strikeouts, 0.95 WHIP and .111 average against all led the league. Blanco, 30, was signed by Houston as an international free agent out of Santiago, Dominican Republic, on April 27, 2016.
Eastern League (Double-A)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays) infielder Trevor Schwecke batted .370/.453/.630 and led the league in average (.370) and was second in hits (17), total bases (29), slugging percentage (.630) and OPS (1.083). He finished third in stolen bases (six) and fourth in runs (10) and doubles (four). Schwecke, 25, was selected by Toronto in the 13th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets) right-hander Dominic Hamel went 1-0 and did not allow a run in three starts, covering 14.0 innings. He scattered five hits and five walks while striking out 24 and holding opponents to a .109 average. Hamel, 24, was selected by New York (NL) in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Dallas Baptist University.
Southern League (Double-A)
Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers) third baseman Zavier Warren batted .386/.429/.795 and led the league in average (.386), total bases (35), slugging percentage (.795) and OPS (1.224). He was second in runs (13), hits (17) and home runs (four), was fourth in triples (one) and on-base percentage (.429) and was fifth in doubles (four). Warren, 24, was selected by Milwaukee in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Central Michigan University.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins) left-hander Jonathan Bermudez went 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts as he allowed five earned runs over 18.0 innings. He surrendered 10 hits and three walks while striking out 26 and holding opponents to a .164 average. Bermúdez, 27, was originally selected by Houston in the 23rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Jose Felipe Zayas High School in Coamo, Puerto Rico.
Texas League (Double-A)
Frisco RoughRiders (Texas) outfielder Wyatt Langford batted .405/.519/.762 and led the league in on-base percentage (.519), slugging percentage (.762) and OPS (1.281). He was second in average (.405), fourth in total bases (32) and fifth in home runs (five). Langford, 21, was selected by Texas in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida.
Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) left-hander Julio Robaina went 2-1 with a 0.47 ERA in four games (three starts). He allowed 11 hits and five walks and led the league with 25 strikeouts in his 19.0 innings, holding opponents to a .167 average. Robaina, 22, was signed by Houston as an international free agent out of San Antonio de los Banos, Cuba, on September 22, 2017.
Midwest League (High-A)
South Bend Cubs infielder Luis Verdugo batted .469/.541/.813 and led the league in hits (15) and doubles (five). He finished second in average (.469) and total bases (26) and was third in on-base percentage (.541) and OPS (1.354), while finishing fourth in slugging percentage (.813). Verdugo, 22, was signed by Chicago as an international free agent out of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, on July 2, 2017.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres) right-hander Victor Lizarraga went 1-0 without allowing a run over two starts, spanning 12.0 innings. He surrendered nine hits and a walk while striking out 15 and holding opponents to a .191 average. Lizarraga, 19, was signed by San Diego as an international free agent out of Mexico, on March 1, 2021.
Northwest League (High-A)
Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks) outfielder Jack Hurley batted .379/.438/.621 and led the league in average (.379) and on-base percentage (.438). He finished second in hits (11) and triples (one) and was third in slugging percentage (.621) and OPS (1.059) and fourth in total bases (18). Hurley, 21, was selected by Arizona in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Virginia Tech.
Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) left-hander Julian Smith went 1-0 without allowing a run in three appearances totaling 8.0 innings. He allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out nine and holding opponents to a .077 average. Smith, 26, was originally selected by Los Angeles (NL) in the 15th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, North Carolina. He signed with Los Angeles (AL) as a free agent on July 3, 2023.
South Atlantic League (High-A)
Aberdeen IronBirds (Orioles) catcher Samuel Basallo batted .538/.636/2.021 and led the league in average (.538), total bases (36), home runs (six), RBI (13), on-base percentage (636), slugging percentage (1.385) and OPS (2.021). He was second in runs (10), hits (14) and triples (one) and walked more times (seven) than he struck out (four). Bassallo, 23, was signed by Baltimore as an international free agent out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on January 15, 2021.
Aberdeen IronBirds (Orioles) right-hander Juan Nunez pitched to a 1.00 ERA over two appearances (one start). He allowed a run on five hits and three walks as he struck out eight and held opponents to a .156 average. Nuñez, 22, was originally signed by Minnesota as an international free agent out of Azua, Dominican Republic, on November 14, 2019. He was acquired by Baltimore in the August 2, 2022, trade that sent right-hander Jorge Lopez to Minnesota.
California League (Single-A)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Dodgers) third baseman Jake Gelof batted .308/.341/.744 and led the league in home runs (five), RBI (17), total bases (29) and slugging percentage (.744). He was second in OPS (1.095) and third in hits (12). Gelof, 21, was selected by Los Angeles (NL) in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia.
Modesto Nuts (Mariners) right-hander Riley Davis went 1-0 without allowing a run in two appearances spanning nine innings. He allowed three hits and two walks while striking out 11, holding opponents to a .100 average. Davis, 24, was selected by Seattle in the 18th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Carolina League (Single-A)
Columbia Fireflies (Royals) third baseman Trevor Werner batted .417/.523/.806 and led the league in runs (12), hits (15), RBI (14), total bases (29), slugging percentage (.806) and OPS (1.329). He was second in home runs (three) and on-base percentage (.523), was third in stolen bases (eight), was fourth in walks (eight) and fifth in doubles (three). Werner, 23, was selected by Kansas City in the seventh round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M University.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs) left-hander Drew Gray pitched to a 1.50 ERA over two starts as he allowed one run on one hit and two walks over 6.0 innings. He struck out 12 and held opponents to a .056 average. Gray, 20, was selected by Chicago (NL) in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Florida State League (Single-A)
Daytona Tortugas (Reds) outfielder Ethan O’Donnell batted .364/.475/.818 and led the league in runs (10), home runs (four), RBI (14), total bases (47), slugging percentage (.818) and OPS (1.293). He was second in triples (one) and sixth in average (.364) and on-base percentage (.475). O’Donnell, 21, was selected by Cincinnati in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia.
St. Lucie Mets right-hander Douglas Orellana went 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA in two appearances (one start) as he allowed one earned run on five hits and two walks over 10.2 innings. His 16 strikeouts led the league, and he held opponents to a .135 average. Orellana, 21, was signed by New York (NL) as an international free agent out of Caracas, Venezuela, on July 13, 2021.
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