HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros player development department has named its players of the month for July for both their full-season and short-season clubs. The players of the month are as follows:
IF/OF Seth Beer - Player of the Month
LHP Framber Valdez - Pitcher of the Month
IF Ronaldo Urdaneta - Short-Season Player of the Month
RHP Alfredi Jimenez - Short-Season Pitcher of the Month  
Beer, 21, spent virtually all of July with the Class A Quad Cities River Bandits and hit . 360 (36x100) with six doubles, three homers, 12 RBI and a .968 OPS (.458 OBP/.510 SLG) in 26 games. Selected by the Astros with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft, Beer was promoted to Class A Advanced Buies Creek after cruising through Quad Cities (29g) and Class A Short Season Tri-City (45g). In 45 combined games between the three levels, the left-handed hitter has posted a .314 batting average (54x172) with 11 doubles, seven home runs, 23 RBI and a .916 OPS (.416 OBP/.500 SLG).
Valdez, 24, put together his strongest month of the 2018 season in July, posting a 2-1 record with a 0.40 ERA (1ER/22.1IP), six walks, 37 strikeouts and 13 hits allowed (.165 opp. avg.) in four games (3 starts) with Double A Corpus Christi. A 2018 Texas League Midseason All-Star, Valdez currently ranks second in the Texas League in strikeouts on the year with 120 in 94.1 innings pitched.
Urdaneta, 19, shook off a slow start to the season with a scorching-hot July for the GCL Astros. In 17 games during the month, the switch-hitter batted .379 (22x58) with nine extra-base hits (6 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers), 13 RBI and a 1.067 OPS (.446 OBP/.621 SLG) while going 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts.
Jimenez, 19, did not allow an earned run in 19.0 innings pitched across five games (2 starts) in July for the DSL Astros. The right-hander struck out 22 batters and walked just two, allowing eight hits during the month.
ASTROS PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
April: IF Taylor Jones (Double A Corpus Christi)
May: IF Randy César (Double A Corpus Christi)
June: OF Kyle Tucker (Triple A Fresno)
July: IF/OF Seth Beer (Class A Quad Cities)
ASTROS PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
April: RHP Josh James (Double A Corpus Christi)
May: RHP Cristian Javier (Class A Quad Cities)
June: LHP Patrick Sandoval (Class A Quad Cities)
July: LHP Framber Valdez (Double A Corpus Christi)
ASTROS SHORT-SEASON PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
June: 1B/OF Victor Mascai (DSL Astros)
July: IF Ronaldo Urdaneta (GCL Astros)
ASTROS SHORT-SEASON PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
June: RHP Ernesto Jaquez (DSL Astros)
July: RHP Alfredi Jimenez (DSL Astros)