The St. Louis Cardinals announced today their selections for Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for August, with infielder Malcom Nunez (Dominican Summer League Cardinals) and right-handed pitcher Jake Walsh (Palm Beach-A) taking the honors.

Nunez, 17, a minor league free agent signing out of Havana, Cuba, batted .420 (34-81) with nine home runs, 34 RBI, and posted a 1.345 OPS in 22 games for the DSL Cardinals Blue squad.

The right-handed batting, 5-foot-11, 205 lb., corner infielder won the league's triple crown with a .415 batting average, 13 home runs and 59 RBI, while also leading the league in on-base percentage (.497), slugging (.774), total bases (127) and intentional walks (3). Nunez homered in five of his final seven games to win the home run title. He hit safely in 40-of-44 games with 21 multi-hit games and led the league with a 34-game on-base streak (.592 OBP) from July 6-August 16, vaulting the DSL Cardinals Blue to their first postseason appearance in franchise history.  

In the DSL playoffs, Nunez batted .375 (3-8) with a double and four RBI in two games. His highlight performance of the month was against the DSL Rockies on August 7, in which he was 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double and eight RBI in a 14-8 victory. Nunez is only the second Cardinals farmhand from the Dominican Summer League to earn the honors joining outfielder Brian Sanchez from June 2016.

"Malcom led the DSL Blue Team to their first playoff appearance, leading the league in batting, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS and home runs for the season," said Cardinals Director of Player Development Gary LaRocque.

Walsh, the Cardinals 16th round selection in the June 2017 First-Year player draft out of Florida Southern College, made five starts in the month of August posting a 2-2 record with a 1.38 ERA pitching 26.0 innings with only four walks and 25 strikeouts for the Florida State League South Division First Half Champions.

The Indiatlantic, Fla., native was 7-4 with a 2.24 ERA for Palm Beach in 16 starts (17 app.) this season. Despite joining the club on May 25, Walsh tied for the Palm Beach team lead with seven wins. The right-handed hurler was 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA in eight starts at Peoria (A), where he began the season.

"Jake's month was highlighted by five starts with only four walks, striking out 26, helping Palm Beach towards the Florida State League playoffs," credited LaRocque.