D-backs award Jacobs, Hagens with monthly honors

June 3, 2014

PHOENIX - The Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) named Triple-A Reno infielder Mike Jacobs and Double-A Mobile right-handed pitcher Bradin Hagens (@Bradin_Hagens16) the organization's Minor League Player- and Pitcher-of-the-Month for May, respectively.

Jacobs, 33, hit .345 (39-for-133) with 14 doubles, 7 home runs, 14 walks and 23 runs scored in 28 games in May for the Aces. His 34 RBI during the month were an Aces record and tied for the second most among all Minor Leaguers. Jacobs ranked among MiLB leaders in May in extra-base hits (T-1st, 21), doubles (T-5th, 14) and total bases (T-7th, 74), and recorded 12 multi-hit games. The Chula Vista, Calif. native currently leads the Pacific Coast League in hits (77), doubles (22) and total bases (131), while ranking second in RBI (49) and batting average (.365) and third in slugging percentage (.621) and OPS (1.052). Jacobs is in his third season with the D-backs (2012-14) after signing a Minor League contract with Arizona on June 2, 2013.

Hagens, 25, went 3-0 with a 2.48 ERA (8 ER in 29.0 IP) and 19 strikeouts in 5 starts in May for the BayBears. He enters June with a 4-game win streak (from May 5-present) after beginning the season without allowing an earned run in 4 games as a reliever (9.1 IP). Hagens limited the opposition to a .186 batting average (19-for-102) in May, and did not allow more than 3 earned runs in any of his 5 starts. The 2013 Southern League midseason All-Star and Mobile Player of the Month for April was drafted in the sixth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft from Merced Community College.

Additional Minor League notes (for games through May 31):

Through the season's first two months, D-backs affiliates had combined to go 133-91 (.594), tied for the most overall wins and the second-best winning percentage in baseball.
After playing at a .575 clip in April, D-backs affiliates went 72-46 (.610) in May.
Arizona was one of two clubs to have four full-season affiliates enter June with 30+ wins. The D-backs were the only team to have four clubs with 32+ victories. Just two other clubs had all four full-season affiliates with records above .500.
The D-backs' four full-season clubs had combined for 19 more wins than any other NL west team.
Arizona's Extended Spring Training club went 35-19 (.648).
On May 31, Andrew Velazquez snapped a 22-game hit streak (May 5-May 30). Over that stretch, he batted .366 with a .431 on-base percentage, 34 hits and 13 extra-base hits. Velazquez entered June with an active 36-game on-base streak, dating back to April 22. He carried a .304 batting average and .387 on-base percentage over that span. He had recorded 11 triples on the season-three more than any hitter at any level of professional baseball. Velazquez ranked among Midwest League leaders in triples (1st, 11), total bases (1st, 107), runs (2nd, 42), extra-base hits (T-3rd, 24) and hits (4th, 64).
Mike Jacobs drove in 34 runs in May-tied for second-most in the Minor Leagues and an Aces franchise record. Overall, Jacobs had 48 RBIs on the season, tied for third-most in the Minors. David Peralta had tied for 7th with 46. Jacobs' 76 hits on the season are tied for second-most in the Minor Leagues, while he ranks first in doubles.
Mike Jacobs had tied for first in Minor League Baseball with 33 extra-base hits-including 21 in May (tied for first in the month). Brandon Drury had 32 extra-base hits overall this season. In the PCL, Jacobs ranked among the league leaders in hits (1st), doubles (1st), extra-base hits (1st), total bases (1st), batting average (2nd), RBI (2nd), slugging percentage (3rd) and on-base percentage (5th).
Reno was tied for the PCL lead with a .291 team batting average.
Mobile led the Southern League in fielding percentage.
Brandon Drury led all Arizona minor leaguers and ranked second in the California League with 13 home runs. Drury also ranked among the Cal League leaders in extra-base hits (T-1st, 32), doubles (2nd, 19), slugging percentage (3rd, .583) and RBI (4th, 45).
Alex Glenn had homered once every 15.58 at-bats through May, the third-best rate in the Cal League.
Jake Lamb and David Peralta had tied for the Southern League lead with 17 doubles-two more than the next-closest batter. Peralta was tied for the league lead in RBIs, while ranking 4th in hits (60), 5th in extra-base hits (24), 4th in runs (33), 3rd in total bases (97), and has the best plate appearance to strikeout ratio (10.62).
Justin Fitzgerald earned four victories in May, one behind the Minor League lead.
Mobile led the Southern League with a 2.81 team ERA and had allowed the fewest runs on the circuit.
Spencer Arroyo's 3.21 ERA is 7th best in the California League, while Brandon Sinnery's six victories were tied for second…Brandon Sinnery had the only complete game shutout in the Cal League through May.
Cody Wheeler had held opposing hitters to a .146 average through May, and allowed just 8.78 base runners per nine innings pitched.
Visalia's 3.77 team ERA was the second-best in the California League.
Enrique Burgos, Matt Stites and Silvino Bracho combined for 23 saves in May-each finishing in the top-8 among Minor League relievers. Bracho suffered the first blown save of his career on May 30. He had previously converted 26-straight since debuting in the DSL in 2012.
Aaron Blair's 73 strikeouts through the first two months ranked fifth in the Minors.
Daniel Gibson's 9 holds were tied for third-most in the Minor Leagues…three more than any other Midwest League pitcher.
The DSL D-backs won their series opener on May 31, scoring three runs in the 10th inning for a 7-4 victory over the White Sox. Gerson Jimenez singled, doubled twice, scored a run and drove in two. Merkis Montero threw 5.1 shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk with four strikeouts.