MiLB Announces September Players and Pitchers of the Month
October 10, 2022 – International League (IL) News Release
Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) today announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for September in each of the 11 full season leagues in Major League Baseball’s player development system.
International League (Triple-A)
Rochester Red Wings (Nationals) third baseman Jake Alu batted .409/.442/.761 and led the league in RBI (25), total bases (67), slugging percentage (.761) and OPS (1.203). He was second in average (.409), hits (36) and home runs (seven) and was fourth in doubles (eight) and runs (21). Alu recorded 13 multi-hit games and hit safely in his last 14 games of the year. Alu, 25, was selected by Washington in the 24th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Boston College.
Nashville Sounds (Brewers) right-hander Josh Lindblom went 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA in three starts as he scattered 10 hits and four walks over 19.0 innings while striking out 21. He held opponents to a .154 average and no pitcher in the league with more than 14.0 innings pitched allowed fewer earned runs than Lindblom (one). Lindblom, 35, was originally selected by Los Angeles (NL) in the second round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of Purdue University.
Pacific Coast League (Triple-A)
El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres) infielder/outfielder Brandon Dixonbatted .398/.480/.976 and led the league in average (.398), home runs (13), runs (23), RBI (32), total bases (81), on-base percentage (.480), slugging percentage (.976) and OPS (1.456). He finished second in hits (33) and doubles (nine) and had 10 multi-hit games. Dixon, 30, was originally selected by Los Angeles (NL) in the third round of the 2013 MLB Draft out of the University of Arizona.
Salt Lake Bees (Angels) right-hander Davis Daniel went 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in four starts. He allowed six earned runs on 14 hits and five walks while striking out 16 in 22.2 innings. Daniel held opponents to a .175 batting average. Daniel, 25, was selected by Los Angeles (AL) in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Auburn University.
Eastern League (Double-A)
Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) infielder David Hamilton batted .429/.508/.643 and led the league in average (.429), hits (24), runs (15), stolen bases (10), on-base percentage (.508) and was second in OPS (1.151). He was fourth in total bases (36) and fifth in slugging percentage (.643). Hamilton hit safely in 13 of 14 games and produced eight multi-hit games, including seven multi-hit games in the last eight contests of the year. Hamilton, 25, was originally selected by Milwaukee in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Texas.
Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) right-hander Reese Olson went 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in three starts. He allowed four earned runs on 10 hits and five walks and held opponents to a .175 average. Olson, 23, was originally selected by Milwaukee in the 13th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of North Hall High School in Gainesville, Georgia.
Southern League (Double-A)
Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels) catcher Logan O’Hoppe batted .375/.519/.725 and led the league in average (.375), RBI (15), on-base percentage (.519), slugging percentage (.725) and OPS (1.244). He was second in home runs (four), was third in total bases (29) and fifth in walks (12). O’Hoppe, 22, was originally selected by Philadelphia in the 23rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Saint John the Baptist High School in West Islip, New York.
Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds) left-hander Andrew Abbott went 2-0 and did not allow a run in his three starts. He scattered seven hits and three walks over 16.0 innings and struck out 21. He held opponents to a .143 average and threw a rain-shortened shutout on Sept. 6. Abbott, 23, was selected by Cincinnati in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia.
Texas League (Double-A)
Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) outfielder Cade Marlowe batted .511/.569/1.133 and led the league in average (.511), hits (23), home runs (seven), total bases (51), on-base percentage (.569), slugging percentage (1.133) and OPS (1.702). He was third in RBI (17), was fourth in runs (15) and was fifth in doubles (five). Marlowe recorded eight multi-hit games in a nine-game span before a Sept. 14 promotion to Triple-A Tacoma. He is the only player in the Minor Leagues to drive in 100 or more runs in each of the last two seasons. Marlowe, 25, was selected by Seattle in the 20th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of West Georgia.
Springfield Cardinals right-hander Gordon Graceffo went 2-0 and did not allow a run in three starts as he allowed five hits and two walks over 16.2 innings while striking out 22. Graceffo held opponents to a .093 average and tied his career-high with nine strikeouts Sept. 15 at Tulsa. Graceffo, 22, was selected by St. Louis in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Villanova University.
Midwest League (High-A)
Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals) infielder/outfielder Peyton Wilson batted .410/.489/.769 and led the league in hits (16), home runs (four), total bases (30), stolen bases (five) and OPS (1.258). He was second in average (.410), on-base percentage (.489) and slugging percentage (.769) and was fourth in RBI (eight) and runs (seven). Wilson, 22, was selected by Kansas City in Competitive Balance Round B (66th overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Alabama.
Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers) right-hander Adolfo Ramirez went 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA in two starts as he allowed one earned run on three hits and a walk in 10.0 innings. He struck out 13 batters and held opponents to a .097 average. Ramirez, 23, was signed by Los Angeles (NL) as an international free agent out of Heroica Mulege, Baja California Sur, Mexico, on July 2, 2016.
Northwest League (High-A)
Everett AquaSox (Mariners) outfielder Spencer Packard batted .406/.525/.781 and led the league in hits (13), runs (10), total bases (25) and on-base percentage (.525). He was second in average (.406), slugging percentage (.781), OPS (1.306) and walks (eight) and was third in home runs (two) and doubles (four). Packard, 24, was selected by Seattle in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the Campbell University.
Hillsboro Hops (D-backs) right-handerJustin Martinez did not allow a run in four relief appearances, covering 9.2 innings. He allowed three hits and three walks and struck out 17 as opponents batted .100 against him. Following the Hops’ season, he was promoted to Double-A Amarillo for two outings and Triple-A Reno for three appearances. Martinez, 21, was signed by Arizona as an international free agent out of Bonao, Dominican Republic, on March 5, 2018.
South Atlantic League (High-A)
Asheville Tourists (Astros) infielder/outfielder Luis Santana batted .400/.478/.725 and led the league in hits (16), doubles (seven), RBI (17), and total bases (29). He was third in average (.400) and slugging percentage (.725) and was fourth in on-base percentage (.478) and OPS (1.203). Santana, 23, was originally signed by New York (NL) as an international free agent out of Bani, Dominican Republic, on July 7, 2016.
Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) right-hander Dominic Hamel went 1-0 and did not allow a run in two starts, covering a league-best 14.0 innings. Hamel allowed seven hits and a walk while striking out 17 and holding opponents to a .146 average. Hamel, 23, was selected by New York (NL) in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Dallas Baptist University.
California League (Single-A)
Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) outfielder Benny Montgomery batted .425/.477/.725 and led the league in hits (17) and doubles (seven), and was second in total bases (29), slugging percentage (.725) and OPS (1.202). He was third in average (.425) and RBI (11). He hit safely in all nine games in September, including six multi-hit games, and ended his season on a 14-game hitting streak. Montgomery, 20, was selected by Colorado in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Red Land High School in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.
Modesto Nuts (Mariners) right-hander Rodney Hutchison went 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA in three relief appearances spanning 11.0 innings. He allowed one earned run on four hits and a walk while striking out seven and holding opponents to a .098 average. Hutchison, 26, was originally selected by New York (AL) in the sixth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of the University of North Carolina.
Carolina League (Single-A)
Fredericksburg Nationals first baseman/designated hitter Will Frizzell batted .500/.528/.750 and led the league in hits (14), average (.500), RBI (14), on-base percentage (.528) and OPS (1.275). He was third in doubles (four) and slugging percentage (.750) and fifth in total bases (21). Frizzell hit safely in all eight games, including four multi-hit games. Frizzell, 23, was selected by Washington in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M University.
Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros) right-hander A.J. Blubaugh went 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in two appearances (one start). He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out 16 in 10.0 innings as he held opponents to a .065 average. Blubaugh, 22, was selected by Houston in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Florida State League (Single-A)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins) third baseman Keoni Cavaco batted .345/.375/.759 and led the league in home runs (three), slugging percentage (,759) and OPS (1.134). He was second in doubles (three), RBI (nine) and total bases (22) and fourth in hits (10). He ended the year on a seven-game hitting streak and posted three multi-hit games in September. Cavaco, 21, was selected by Minnesota in the first round (13th overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California.
Palm Beach Cardinals right-hander Hancel Rincon went 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts as he allowed eight hits and two walks over a league-best 12.0 innings. Rincon struck out eight and held opponents to a .190 average. Rincon, 20,was signed by St. Louis as an international free agent out of Los Llanos, Dominican Republic, on January 26, 2019.
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