HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros Player Development Department has named April's Minor League Pitchers and Players of the Month at each of their four in-season minor league affiliates. These awards are chosen every month by the field staff of each team.
IF Danny Worth was named the April Player of the Month for Triple A Fresno after batting .347 (26x75) with 14 runs, four doubles, one triple, three homers, 12 RBI and a .960 OPS (.414 OBP/.547 SLG) in 20 games during the month. The infielder led the Grizzlies in hits and OPS during April, hitting safely in 17 of his 20 total games while starting the season on a league-best, 10-game hitting streak. Fresno's April Pitcher of the Month award went to RHP James Hoyt, who led the PCL in saves (6-for-6) while posting a 2.19 ERA (3ER/12.1IP), 20 strikeouts, five walks and just seven hits allowed for a .171 opponent batting average in 11 April outings.
At Double A Corpus Christi, IF Alex Bregman was named the April Player of the Month while RHP Joe Musgrove was named the April Pitcher of the Month. The second overall pick in the 2015 draft, Bregman ranked second in the Texas League in OPS (1.091) during the month, batting .340 (17x50) with one double, five homers, 14 RBI, two steals, a .431 on-base percentage and a .660 slugging percentage in 13 games in April. Musgrove, the Astros 2015 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, carried over his tremendous 2015 season with an excellent first-month of the 2016 season. In four games (three starts) in April, Musgrove allowed just one earned run, going 1-1 with a Texas League-best 0.52 ERA (1ER/17.1IP), two walks, 21 strikeouts and a .182 opponent batting average.
IF Nick Tanielu was named Class A Advanced Lancaster's Player of the Month for April after batting .301 (22x73) with six doubles, one triple, two homers, 11 RBI, two steals and an .835 OPS (.342 OBP/.493 SLG) in 19 games. RHP Brock Dykxhoorn earned Lancaster Pitcher of the Month honors after going 1-0 with a 2.29 ERA (5ER/19.2IP) in four games (three starts) in April. The 6-foot-8 right-hander struck out 15 and walked three in his 19.2 innings.
IF Brooks Marlow was the April Player of the Month recipient for Class A Quad Cities, as he hit .295 (18x61) with three doubles, one triple and one homer in 16 April games. RHP Ryan Deemes was named the Quad Cities April Pitcher of the Month after allowing just one run in 14.0 innings (0.64 ERA), striking out 12 and walking three across seven relief appearances during the month.
-ASTROS-