Arlington, Texas — The Rangers today announced the club’s April Minor League Award winners:
- Player of the Month – 1B Arturo Disla
- Starting Pitcher of the Month – LHP Dalton Pence
- Defender of the Month – INF Frainyer Chavez
- Reliever of the Month – LHP Michael Trausch
The 25-year-old Disla batted .372/.474/.654/1.128 (29-78) with 5 home runs, 7 doubles, and 19 RBI over 22 games with High-A Hub City in April, ranking among South Atlantic League leaders in batting average (2nd, .372), on-base pct. (2nd, .474), hits (T2nd, 29), OPS (4th, 1.128), slugging pct. (5th, .654), total bases (5th, 51), doubles (T5th, 7), RBI (T6th, 19), and extra-base hits (T6th, 12). The native of the Dominican Republic is in his fourth season with the Texas organization after signing as a non-drafted free agent on July 24, 2023 out of Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas.
Pence, 23, was 0-1 with a 3.10 ERA (7 ER/20.1 IP) over 4 games/starts in April for High-A Hub City, posting a 0.787 WHIP figure with 2 walks against 25 strikeouts for an average of 11.1 strikeouts per 9 innings and 12.50 strikeouts per walk. He whiffed 29 of 75 batters faced (38.7%) last month, ranking among South Atlantic League qualifiers in WHIP (2nd, 0.787), opponent batting average (4th, .187), ERA (5th, 3.10), and strikeouts (T9th, 25). A non-roster invitee to Rangers Major League camp this spring, Pence is in his second professional season after being selected by Texas in the 11th round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of the University of North Carolina.
The 26-year-old Chavez has spent the season with Double-A Frisco, batting .267/.376/.467/.843 (24-90) with 5 home runs and 16 RBI over 23 games for the RoughRiders in April. Last month, the utility man posted a combined .982 fielding percentage (2 E/114 TC) while making 26 total starts at every infield position: third base (13), second base (5), shortstop (4), and first base (4). His only miscues came on throwing errors at third base (1) and shortstop (1). Those mark his only errors over 29 total games through yesterday. Born in Venezuela, Chavez graduated from Little Elm (TX) High School in 2017 and was selected by Texas in the 22nd round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Trausch, 22, posted 15.0 scoreless innings over 7 relief appearances with Class A Hickory in April, posting a 1-0 record with a 0.600 WHIP figure and 7 walks against 21 strikeouts. He posted a season-best 3.0 scoreless innings for his lone win on April 15 vs. Salem. Opposing batters were just 2-for-45 (.044) against Trausch last month as he averaged 12.6 strikeouts per 9 innings. The Phoenix native is in his third professional season after being selected by Texas in the 15th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Central Arizona College.
– RANGERS –