Minor League Baseball announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for June in Major League Baseball’s player development system.
International League (Triple-A)
St. Paul Saints (Twins) right fielder Matt Wallner batted .315/.390/.730 and led the league in home runs (11), RBIs (30), total bases (65), runs (23) and slugging percentage (.730). He finished fourth in OPS (1.120). He posted nine multi-hit games, hit safely in nine straight games from June 12-21 and set a career high with three home runs on June 4 against Indianapolis. Wallner, 29, was selected by Minnesota in the Competitive Balance Round A (39th overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Southern Mississippi.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees) right-hander Brendan Beck went 3-0 with a 1.24 ERA in five starts as he allowed four earned runs on 14 hits and 10 walks over 29 innings. He led the league in ERA (1.24) and was second in hits allowed per nine innings (4.34). In his first June start, he held Syracuse hitless for seven innings, and he started the month with a 13-inning scoreless streak. Beck, 27, was selected by New York (AL) in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Stanford University.
Pacific Coast League (Triple-A)
Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies) outfielder Zac Veen batted .366/.385/.782 and led the league in hits (37), doubles (13) triples (four) and he led Minor League Baseball in total bases (79). He was third in home runs (seven) and fourth in average (.366), slugging percentage (.782) and OPS (1.167). He recorded 10 multi-hit games and started the month with a 20-game hitting streak as he hit safely in 23 of 24 games in June. Veen, 24, was selected by Colorado in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros) right-hander Ethan Pecko was 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in five appearances (four starts) as he allowed eight earned runs on 21 hits and six walks over 29 innings. He led the league in innings pitched (29), ERA (2.48), WHIP (0.93), average against (.206) and hits allowed per nine innings (6.52). He allowed just two earned runs over his first four outings (24 innings). Pecko, 23, was selected by Houston in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Towson University.
Eastern League (Double-A)
Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) outfielder Bo Davidson batted .309/.391/.681 and led the league in home runs (11) and total bases (64) and was second in RBIs (23), slugging percentage (.681) and OPS (1.072). He was third in hits (29) and runs (21). He recorded eight multi-hit games and began the month with a nine-game hitting streak. Davidson, 23, was signed by San Francisco as a free agent out of Caldwell Community College in Hudson, North Carolina, on July 25, 2023.
Altoona Curve (Pirates) left-hander Connor Wietgrefe went 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA in four appearances (three starts) as he allowed one earned run on 10 hits and five walks while striking out 29 over 23 innings. He led the league in ERA (0.39), WHIP (0.65), average against (.132) and hits per nine innings (3.91). He allowed an earned run in his first inning of the month before going on a streak of 22 consecutive scoreless innings before a June 25 promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis. Wietgrefe, 24, was selected by Pittsburgh in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of the University of Minnesota.
Southern League (Double-A)
Knoxville Smokies (Cubs) catcher Owen Ayers batted .451/.554/.824 and led the league in average (.451), hits (41), doubles (13), home runs (seven), walks (20), total bases (75), on-base percentage (.554), slugging percentage (.824) and OPS (1.378). He finished second in runs (23) and fourth in RBIs (21). Ayers led Minor League Baseball in average, hits, doubles, on-base percentage and OPS in June. He began the month with a career high 13-game hitting streak and had 13 multi-hit games in June. On June 10, he set a career high with four hits at Montgomery, a feat he matched on June 28 at Birmingham. Ayers, 25, was selected by Chicago (NL) in the 19th round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Marshall University.
Knoxville right-hander Jace Beck went 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA in five appearances (three starts) as he scattered nine hits and nine walks over 19 innings. He led the league in strikeouts (36) and held opponents to a .138 average. He began the month with a 16-inning scoreless streak and recorded a career high 11 strikeouts on June 26 at Birmingham. Beck, 26, Milbrandt, 22, was originally selected by New York (NL) in the 22nd round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Blanchard High School in Blanchard, Oklahoma.
Texas League (Double-A)
Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) outfielder Lazaro Montes batted .299/.440/.759 and led the league in runs (29), home runs (12), RBIs (30), slugging percentage (.759) and total bases (66) and finished second in OPS (1.199). He homered twice in a game on two occasions (June 2 and June 25) and tied his career high with four hits on June 25. His 12 home runs tied for the Minor League Baseball lead in June. Montes, 21, was signed by Seattle as an international free agent out of Havana, Cuba, on Jan. 15, 2022.
Arkansas left-hander Kade Anderson went 4-0 with a 0.79 ERA in four starts as he allowed two earned runs on 11 hits and three walks over 22 2/3 innings while striking out 32. He led the league in ERA (0.79), wins (four), average against (.145), WHIP (0.62), hits allowed per nine innings (4.37), strikeout to walk ratio (10.67) and strikeouts per nine innings (12.71). He was second in strikeouts (32) and began the month with 17 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings over three starts. Anderson, 22, was selected by Seattle in the first round (third overall) of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Louisiana State University.
Midwest League (High-A)
Dayton Dragons (Reds) first baseman Carter Graham batted .354/.490/.829 and led the league in home runs (11), RBIs (27), slugging percentage (.829), OPS (1.319) and total bases (68). He finished second in hits (29) and was third in average (.354) and on-base percentage (.490). He posted 10 multi-hit games, including a pair of career-high-tying four-hit games (June 16 and June 24), before a June 29 promotion to Double-A Chattanooga. Graham also recorded the first three multi-homer games of his career (June 5, June 9 and June 16). Graham, 24, was selected by Cincinnati in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Stanford University.
Lake County Captains (Guardians) right-hander Braylon Doughty went 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in four starts as he scattered 14 hits and two walks over 22 innings while striking out 24. He led the league in ERA (1.64), WHIP (0.73), average against (.173), hits allowed per nine innings (5.73) and strikeout to walk ratio (12.0). Doughty was promoted to Double-A Akron on June 30. Doughty, 20, was selected by Cleveland in Competitive Balance Round A (36th overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Chaparral High School in Temecula, California.
Northwest League (High-A)
Spokane Indians (Rockies) outfielder Max Belyeu batted .348/.434/.773 and led the league in home runs (eight), slugging percentage (.773) and OPS (1.207). He finished third in average (.348) and fourth in runs (19) and on-base percentage (.434) despite having his month cut short by injury on June 23. He recorded eight multi-hit games in June and notched the first multi-homer games of his career with a pair of homers on June 11 and June 13 at Eugene. Belyeu, 22, was selected by Colorado in Competitive Balance Round B (74th overall) of the 2025 MLB Draft out of the University of Texas.
Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) right-hander Peyton Olejnik went 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA in four starts as he allowed 16 hits and seven walks over 22 2/3 innings, while striking out 24. He set a career high with nine strikeouts on June 6 against Vancouver and held opponents to a .193 average in June. Olejnik, 23, was selected by Los Angeles (AL) in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of the University of Miami (Ohio).
South Atlantic League (High-A)
Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pirates) third baseman Murf Gray batted .333/.417/.644 and was second in the league in home runs (seven), total bases (56) and slugging percentage (.644) and finished fourth in OPS (1.061). He recorded eight multi-hit games and raised his season average from .282 to .317 in June as he had separate hitting streaks of seven and eight games. Gray, 22, was selected by Pittsburgh in Competitive Balance Round B (73rd overall) of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Fresno State University.
Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) left-hander Daviel Hurtado went 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in five starts as he allowed six earned runs on 11 hits and four walks over 26 2/3 innings. He struck out 26 and led the league in wins (four), WHIP (0.56), average against (.121) and hits allowed per nine innings (3.71). He struck out a career high eight batters on June 30 at Frederick. Hurtado, 21, was signed by New York (NL) as an international free agent out of Havana, Cuba, on Jan. 15, 2023.
California League (Single-A)
Ontario Tower Buzzers (Dodgers) first baseman Easton Shelton batted .329/.460/.722 and led the league in home runs (nine), RBIs (27), slugging percentage (.722) and OPS (1.182). He was second in on-base percentage (.460) and was third in total bases (57) while finishing fourth in walks (18). He recorded nine multi-hit games and his first career multi-homer game on June 6 against Stockton. Shelton, 20, was signed by Los Angeles (NL) as a free agent on Aug. 2, 2023, out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks) right-hander Junior Ciprian went 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA in five starts as he allowed eight earned runs on 17 hits and nine walks over 27 1/3 innings while striking out 32 batters. He led the league in wins (three), average against (.181) and hits allowed per nine innings (5.6). He finished second in WHIP (0.95) and set a career high with eight strikeouts on June 12 against Fresno. Ciprian, 21, was signed by Arizona as an international free agent out of Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic, on Aug. 3, 2023.
Carolina League (Single-A)
Hill City Howlers (Guardians) outfielder Juneiker Caceres batted .391/.469/.725 and led the league in average (.391), slugging percentage (.725) and OPS (1.194). He was third in on-base percentage (.469), was fourth in total bases (50) and was fifth in home runs (six). He recorded 10 multi-hit games and began the month with seven straight multi-hit games. He posted his first career multi-homer game on June 5 at Fredericksburg. Caceres, 18, was signed by Cleveland as an international free agent out of Los Taques, Venezuela, on Jan. 15, 2024.
Charleston RiverDogs (Rays) left-hander Blake Morgan went 1-0 with a 2.22 ERA in four starts as he held opponents to 10 hits and four walks over 24 1/3 innings, while striking out 32. He led the league in WHIP (0.58), average against (.120) and hits per nine innings (3.70). He was third in strikeout to walk ratio (8.00). He set a career high with nine strikeouts on June 12 and June 19. Morgan, 23, was selected by Tampa Bay in the 19th round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Old Dominion University.
Florida State League (Single-A)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins) catcher Ryan Sprock batted .400/.535/.600 and led the league in average (.400), hits (30), on-base percentage (.535) and OPS (1.135) and was fifth in RBIs (18). He walked 21 times while striking out just five times in June. He recorded six multi-hit games, including a career high four hits on June 9, and opened the month with an 18-game hitting streak that raised his season average from .259 to .323. Sprock, 21, was selected by Minnesota in the eighth round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Elon College in Alamance, North Carolina.
Tampa Tarpons (Yankees) left-hander Henry Lalane went 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in four starts as he allowed five earned runs on 10 hits and eight walks while striking out 35 over 25.0 innings. He led the league in wins (three) and WHIP (0.72) and was second in ERA (1.80), average against (.120), hits allowed per nine innings (3.15), strikeout to walk ratio (4.80) and strikeouts per nine innings (12.6). Lalane, 22, was signed by New York (AL) as an undrafted free agent on May 4, 2021.
Arizona Complex League (Rookie)
ACL Rockies outfielder Alessander De La Cruz batted .442/.537/.766 and led the league in hits (34), doubles (10) and total bases (59). He was second in runs (28), was third in average (.442) and on-base percentage (.537) and was fourth in triples (three), slugging percentage (.766) and OPS (1.303) and finished fifth in RBIs (22). He recorded 11 multi-hit games and tied his career high with four hits on June 11. De La Cruz, 20, was signed by Colorado as an international free agent out of Berlin, Germany, on Jan. 15, 2023.
ACL Guardians right-hander Alejandro Rivera went 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA in five appearances (four starts) as he allowed six earned runs on 12 hits and eight walks over 20 2/3 innings. He led the league in strikeouts (31), WHIP (0.97) and strikeouts per nine innings (13.50). He finished second in average against (.167) and hits allowed per nine innings (4.58) and was third in strikeout to walk ratio (3.88). He began the month with an 11-inning scoreless streak. Rivera, 19, was signed by Cleveland as an international free agent out of Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 15, 2024.
Dominican Summer League (Rookie)
DSL Yankees outfielder Isaias Castillo batted .369/.485/.810 and led the league in runs (35), home runs (eight), total bases (68), slugging percentage (.810) and OPS (1.295). He finished third in RBIs (27) and was fourth in hits (31) and doubles (nine). He recorded 10 multi-hit games, including a career high four hits on June 2. Castillo, 18, was signed by New York (AL) as an international free agent out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Jan. 24, 2025.
DSL Reds right-hander Ysaias Escalona went 3-0 with a 0.37 ERA in six appearances (three starts) as he allowed one earned run on 12 hits and seven walks over 24 1/3 innings. He led the league in ERA (0.37) and was second in average against (.143). He did not allow an earned run in his first 20 1/3 innings of the month. Escalona, 19, was signed by Cincinnati as an international free agent out of Cagua, Venezuela, on April 25, 2025.
Florida Complex League (Rookie)
FCL Red Sox catcher/first baseman Franklin Primera batted .464/.559/.857 and led the league in average (.464), hits (26), on-base percentage (.559), slugging percentage (.857) and OPS (1.416). He was second in home runs (six) and RBIs (23) and was fifth in runs (20) while walking more times (eight) than he struck out (six). He recorded eight multi-hit games, including a career high-tying four hits on June 11, and he began the month with a 14-game hitting streak. He hit safely in 15 of 16 games in June before a June 28 promotion to Single-A Salem. Primera, 19, was signed by Boston as an international free agent out of Coro, Venezuela, on Sept. 30, 2024.
FCL Braves right-hander Gensi Angeles went 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA in four appearances (two starts) as he allowed three earned runs on 11 hits and 11 walks while striking out 14 over 17 2/3 innings. He held opponents to a .177 average. Angeles, 18, was signed by Atlanta as an international free agent out of Agua, Dominican Republic, on April 9, 2025.