Astros announce Minor League Players of the Month for July

HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros Player Development Department has named July's Minor League Pitchers and Players of the Month at each of their minor league affiliates. These awards are chosen every month by the field staff of each team.

The Astros have the best combined overall minor league record among all MLB clubs at 359-289 (.554). Six of the Astros nine minor league clubs are currently in first place. 

At Triple A Fresno, IF Tyler White was named the July Player of the Month after hitting .385 (35x91) with 11 doubles, three homers, 21 RBI and a 1.081 OPS (.477 OBP/.604 SLG) in 23 games in his first ever month at the Triple A level. In 84 combined games between Fresno and Double A Corpus Christi, White has hit .318 (92x289) with 17 doubles, 10 homers, 63 RBI and a .435 on-base percentage. RHP James Hoyt was named the Grizzlies Pitcher of the Month for July, as he posted a 1.64 ERA (2ER/11IP) while striking out 16 batters with just two walks in 10 outings during the month. Acquired in the trade with Atlanta that also brought Evan Gattis to Houston, Hoyt has struck out 45 batters in his 34.0 innings this year, and has put up a 1.83 ERA (4ER/19.2IP) since the beginning of June.

IF Colin Moran, who was named the Texas League July Player of the Month, was named Corpus Christi's July Player of the Month after batting .349 (37x106) with 12 extra-base hits (seven doubles, two triples, three homers), 22 RBI and a .945 OPS (.407 OBP/.538 SLG) in 27 games in July. During the month, Moran was tied for the Texas League lead in RBI while ranking second in batting average. Corpus Christi's Pitcher of the Month honors went to RHP Michael Feliz, who went 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA (6ER/25.1IP) and 19 strikeouts in five games (four starts) in July. In 10 total Double A outings this season (seven starts), Feliz has gone 5-2 with a 3.02 ERA (16ER/47.2IP) and a .191 opponents' batting average.

At Class A Advanced Lancaster, OF Ronnie Mitchell was named July Player of the Month and RHP Keegan Yuhl was named July Pitcher of the month. A Southlake, Texas native, Mitchell hit. 321 (34x106) with six doubles, four triples, three homers and 23 RBI in 26 games for Lancaster during the month. Yuhl pitched in six games with the JetHawks in July (three starts), posting a 1.35 ERA (4ER/26.2IP) with 26 strikeouts. A 35th round pick in 2014, Yuhl has notched a 1.53 ERA (8ER/47IP) with 43 strikeouts in 18 total games for the JetHawks this season.

A 2015 Midwest League Midseason All-Star, IF Nick Tanielu was named the Quad Cities Player of the Month for July, as he hit .340 (34x100) with 11 doubles and 24 RBI in 27 July games. Tanielu's .315 (107x34) batting average on the season ranks fifth in the Midwest League. RHP Angel Heredia, a product of the Astros Dominican Academy, received Quad Cities Pitcher of the Month honors for July after allowing just one earned run and striking out 16 batters in 16.2 innings (0.54 ERA) during the month. Heredia, who was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week on July 6, has gone 4-2 with a 1.10 ERA (4ER/32.2IP), 35 strikeouts and a .140 opponents' batting average in what has been his first year with a full-season minor league affiliate.

At Class A Short Season Tri-City, 2015 draftees IF Bobby Wernes (30th round) and LHP Alex Winkelman (21st round) were named July Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively. Wernes hit .341 (29x85) with 12 RBI and a .430 on-base percentage in 25 games in July, while Winkelman went 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA (3ER/15.2IP), 19 strikeouts and two walks in four July games. Wernes currently ranks second in the New York-Penn League in batting average 
(.333).

OF Hector Roa was named Rookie Level Greeneville's July Player of the Month. The 20-year-old ranked tied for third in the Appalachian League in home runs during the month (6) while adding a .315 (34x108) batting average, six doubles, two triples, 22 RBI and a .574 slugging percentage in 27 July games before earning a promotion to Tri-City. RHP Erasmo Pinales took home Greeneville's Pitcher of the Month award for July after putting up a 1.85 ERA (5ER/24.1IP) with 26 strikeouts and a .184 opponents' batting average during the month. In what has been his first season pitching in the United States, Pinales has posted a 1.84 ERA (6ER/29.1IP) and 31 strikeouts in seven total outings for the Astros this year.

OF Daz Cameron, the 37th overall pick in the 2015 draft, picked up July Player of the Month honors for the Gulf Coast League Astros. In 20 games in the GCL, Cameron stole 12 bases while posting a .321 on-base percentage, two outfield assists and a 1.000 fielding percentage. Cameron was recently promoted to Greeneville, where he has hit .571 (4x7) with a triple, three RBI and three steals in two games. RHP Moreno Polanco, who was also promoted to Greeneville, received the GCL Astros Pitcher of the Month award for July. The 21-year-old gave up just two earned runs in 30.0 innings (0.60) in eight games with the GCL Astros, holding opponents to a .181 batting average.

For the DSL Astros Blue club, C Oscar Campos received July Player of the Month honors while RHP Yoanys Quiala was named Pitcher of the Month. Campos, 18, hit .321 (27x84) with five RBI and a .402 on-base percentage in 24 games in July. Quiala, who was signed by the Astros out of Cuba this June, went 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA (2ER/22IP) and 20 strikeouts in five July games (three starts).

The DSL Astros Orange Player of the Month award went to C Randy Vasquez, who hit .395 (34x86) with nine extra-base hits (six doubles, three homers) and a 1.013 OPS (.443 OBP/.570 SLG) in 24 games in July. RHP Jose Ramos earned July Pitcher of the Month honors for the DSL Astros Orange after allowing just one run in 24.0 July innings (0.38 ERA), striking out 20.