HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros player development department has named IF Taylor Jones the Astros Minor League Player of the Month for April, and RHP Josh James the Astros Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April.
Jones, 24, played in 19 games at Double A Corpus Christi in April, batting .354 (23x65) with 10 doubles, three homers, 17 RBI and a 1.109 OPS (.463 OBP/.646 SLG) while drawing 13 walks against 16 strikeouts. During the month, he ranked among the top five Texas League players in OPS (3rd), slugging percentage (3rd), doubles (3rd), on-base percentage (4th) and RBI (T-5th). The 6-foot-7 right-handed hitter was a 19th round pick by the Astros in the 2016 draft out of Gonzaga.
James, 25, made five appearances in April (3 starts) for Double A Corpus Christi, going 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA (4ER/20IP), six walks, 34 strikeouts and a .208 opponent batting average. The 34 strikeouts by James were tied for the most in the Texas League during the month, while his ERA ranked second. The right-hander was a 34th round pick by the Astros in 2014 out of Western Oklahoma State College. On Sunday, he was promoted to Triple A Fresno.
-ASTROS-