Evan Gattis of the Atlanta Braves voted National League Rookie of the Month for April

Atlanta Braves catcher Evan Gattis has been voted the National League Rookie of the Month for the month of April.

In 21 April contests, Gattis led Major League rookies with six home runs, 16 RBI, a .566 slugging percentage and 43 total bases while hitting .250 (19-for-76). The 26-year-old, who was selected by the Braves in the 23rd round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, ranked third among qualifying N.L. rookies in hitting, was tied for second with nine runs scored and was fourth in hits. Gattis led all rookies with a club-high five game-winning RBI in his first month in the Majors. The Texas native helped the N.L. East-leading Braves to a 17-9 record last month. On April 18th, making his first appearance as a pinch-hitter, Gattis drilled a 2-0 pitch over the left-field wall to break a 4-4 tie, giving the Braves a 6-4 lead that they would not relinquish. The right-handed hitting slugger hit a two-run shot in an April 13th matchup against the N.L. East-rival Washington Nationals en route to Atlanta's 3-1 road victory. Gattis homered in his Major League debut on April 3rd, a 9-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Turner Field. With the blast, he became the seventh player in Atlanta history to homer in his debut. Gattis' six homers are currently tied for 10th overall in the N.L.

Other rookies receiving votes included St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller (3-2, 2.05 ERA, 33 SO, 30.2 IP); Los Angeles Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-1, 3.35 ERA, 46 SO, 37.2 IP); Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tony Cingrani (2-0, 1.50 ERA, 28 SO, 18.0 IP); and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jim Henderson (2-0, 0.75 ERA, 6 SV, 15 SO, 12.0 IP).

The National League Rookie of the Month for April 2013, Evan Gattis, will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, to commemorate his performance.