Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today announced the organization’s minor league award winners for July:

Player of the Month – INF Thomas Saggese

Starting Pitcher of the Month – LHP Mitch Bratt

Reliever of the Month – RHP Theo McDowell

Defender of the Month – OF Bubba Thompson

Saggese (pronounced suh-JAY-cee), 20, hit .377/.410/.662/1.072 (29-77) with 5 home runs, 5 doubles, a triple, and 19 RBI over 19 games in July with High-A Hickory. Saggese’s slash line figures have improved in every category for every month since the start of the season. His .377 batting average led the South Atlantic League last month, while he was also among circuit leaders in hits (2nd, 29), OPS (3rd, 1.072), slugging (3rd, .662), RBI (T3rd, 19), and total bases (T3rd, 51). For the year he has batted .309/.358/.497/.855 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI over 83 games with Hickory, ranking among SAL 2022 leaders in hits (3rd, 100), batting average (4th), slugging (6th), total bases (6th, 161), and OPS (7th).

Bratt, who turned 19 years old on July 3, went 3-1 with a 1.96 ERA (4 ER/28.1 IP), 6 walks, and 23 strikeouts over 4 games/starts for Down East (A) last month. The left-hander posted three consecutive starts of 5.0 shutout innings from June 25-July 9, including a career-high 9-strikeout performance on July 2 vs. Kannapolis. After entering the 2022 campaign as the youngest pitcher in the Carolina League, he has gone 4-3 with a 2.35 ERA (16 ER/61.1 IP), 1.109 WHIP, and 11.2 strikeouts per 9.0 innings figure across 15 games/14 starts for the Wood Ducks this season. This is the native Canadian’s first full season in the Texas organization since being selected by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

The 23-year-old McDowell was promoted to Hickory at the start of July, and he compiled 10.2 scoreless innings over 8 relief appearances last month in his first career High-A action. He held opponents to a .114/.184/.114/.299 slash line in July, allowing zero extra-base hits with 3 walks and 11 strikeouts. The Rangers' 14th round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft, he has combined to go 5-2 with a 2.75 ERA (12 ER/39.1 IP) and 49 strikeouts over 31 relief appearances for Down East (A) and Hickory (High-A) in 2022. The 6-foot-4 right-hander made 28 relief appearances with Down East and Hickory from April 16-August 2, compiling a 0.50 ERA (4 R-2 ER/36.1 IP) over that span with 45 strikeouts (11.15 SO/9).

Thompson, who had his contract selected by Texas from Round Rock (AAA) on August 4, posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage over 21 games (39 chances) at Triple-A last month while seeing action at all three outfield positions. The right-handed batter and thrower ended his Triple-A tenure with a 25-game errorless streak (beg. June 28) and recorded his first outfield assist of the season on July 28 vs. Sacramento. A former first-round selection (26th overall) by the Rangers in 2017, Thompson has gone 4-for-22 with a double, RBI and three stolen bases in 6 games for Texas this month in his first Major League action.