Employees of the Month: April 2014

And so with the conclusion of the first month of the season, we can hand out our Employee of the Month awards. Award recipients get the CEO's parking spot and 10% off in the Astros County Team Store.

Hitter of the Month: What do you possibly want here? A decent batting average? That would be Jose Altuve, who at .276 was the only player in the starting lineup last night with an average over .242. A better OPS? That would be Jason Castro, leading the team with a .757 OPS but a .220 average.

Screw it, congrats Jason Castro.

Pitcher of the Month: Do you go with the guy who has blown you away twice, or the guy who has performed really well over the course of the entire month? Because our choice is between Collin McHugh and Dallas Keuchel. McHugh has been ALMOST LITERALLY UNBELIEVABLE for two starts (next start: Sunday). Keuchel looks as though he's putting together one of those seasons where he'll have a sub-4.00 ERA and lose 13 games.

Let's give the monthly award to Dallas Keuchel, who made five starts - four of them Quality Starts - struck out 30 batters in 30.1IP and has a 3.75 K:BB ratio.

Minor League Employees of the Month coming up later today.

Employees of the Month: June 2013

Remember all Employees of the Month get to park up front, and 5% off in the Team Store...

Houston

Pitcher: Bud Norris. Despite a 2.77 ERA/1.15 WHIP, and holding opponents to a .632 OPS (with 33K:9BB in 39IP), Norris went 1-3.

Hitter: Chris Carter. This one wasn't even close. Carter hit .241/.357/.518 with five homers and eight doubles. Thirteen of his 20 hits in June went for extra-bases. And he only struck out in 34% of his plate appearances. Yay.

Oklahoma City

Pitcher: Jason Stoffel. This one could have gone a few different ways: Asher Wojciechowski and Brad Peacock had excellent months, but we're giving it to Stoffel, who held opponents to a .200/.286/.260 line in ten appearances (15.2IP), allowing 10H/3ER, 13K:6BB.

Hitter: Brett Wallace. In 27 June games before his call-up to Houston, Wallace was hitting .327/.372/.540 (all, amazingly, worse than his May).

Corpus

Pitcher: David Martinez. Ridiculousness. Opponents in seven June games hit .193/.204/.330 as Martinez went 2-2 with a 2.35 ERA/0.75 WHIP. He struck out 24 batters, and walked just two.

Hitter: George Springer. Yeah, he cooled off from two straight months of 1.000+ OPS hitting, but he still went .296/.386/.500 in 27 June games, including five June games at OKC.

Lancaster

Pitcher: Could have also gone with David Rollins, but our choice is Tommy Shirley. In 20IP, he allowed 10H/6ER, 21K:5BB for a 2.70 ERA/0.75 WHIP in June.

Hitter: Tough one. But MP Cokinos hit .392/.500/.633 with 7K:14BB and ten doubles in 23 June games. 

Quad Cities

Pitcher: Lance McCullers. In six June appearances, he went 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA/0.99 WHIP, with 33K:9BB in 27.1IP. Opponents hit .188/.264/.240 - and that's with a .286 BABIP.

Hitter: Carlos Correa hit .370/.413/.510 in 25 June games, with 14K:7BB. Now let's just hope that hand is okay, having gotten plunked on it twice in a week.

Minor-League Employees of the Month: May 2013

It's that time of the month for us here at Astros County. Time to announce the PreStros Employees of the Month for May 2013. Winners get to park up front and 10% off in the team store.

Oklahoma City

Pitcher: Jarred Cosart. 2-2 in May with a 2.67 ERA/1.44 WHIP (which is skewed thanks to a seven-walk performance on May 28), struck out 28 batters in 27IP.

Hitter: Brett Wallace. Yeah, he had 28 strikeouts in 28 games for OKC in May, but he also hit .324/.403/.571 with six home runs and 26RBI.

Corpus Christi

Pitcher: Jake Buchanan. It's not even close. Buchanan didn't allow an earned run in the month of May. In 27.2IP, he allowed 16H/0ER, 19K:2BB.

Hitter: George Springer. For the second straight month, Springer posted an OPS over 1.000, this time hitting .303/.415/.596 with eight home runs and 21 RBI.

Lancaster

Pitcher: Brady Rodgers. In 29.2IP, Rodgers allowed 24H/9ER, 22K:7BB and holding opponents to a .222 average. In his final four starts of the month, he threw 17IP, allowing 12H/4ER, with 14K:4BB.

Hitter: Chris Epps. In 20 games for Lancaster in May, Epps hit .361/.447/.667. He had 26 hits - 15 of which were for extra-bases (10 doubles, three triples, two homers), with 23K:12BB and was 5x6 on stolen bases.

Quad Cities

Pitcher: Lance McCullers. McCullers got his first professional win on May 28, completing a month in which he allowed 16H/5ER, with 26K:14BB in 24IP.

Hitter: Carlos Correa. After hitting .221/.384/.397 in April, Correa turned it on with a .349/.423/.442 line in May, with just 12 strikeouts and 11 walks.

Pre Stros April Employees of the Month

AAA

Oklahoma City (16-10) 1st place

Hitter of the month: Marc Krauss. .333/.417/.679. Krauss leads the Redhawks in homers (6), slugging and OPS (1.096). His OPS and slugging are both 7th best in the PCL. He is 2nd on the Redhawks in total bases with 53, 2 behind Jimmy Paredes who has played in 2 more games than Krauss. Krauss is 3rd in runs on the ball club with 15. Last year Krauss had a K rate of 26.8%, this year he has K'd 14 times in 78 at bats for a much improved K rate of 17.9%.

Honorable mention: Jimmy Paredes. .358/.421/.579. Leads the club in doubles with 8 and total bases with 55. OPS of 1.000.

Top Prospect update: Jonathan Villar had an interesting month of April. His bat started out in the deep freeze. On the 12th of April Villar was hitting .036. HE bounced back the 2nd half of April and finished with a .289/.337/.443 line, and an OPS of .770. Villar has swiped 7 bags, including a steal of home, and been caught stealing 3 times.

Pitcher of the month: Jarred Cosart. Cosart leads the Redhawks in innings pitched with 27.1. Cosart also leads the ball club in wins (3-0) and has the lowest ERA of any pitcher with at least 15 innings pitched. Cosart has allowed 19 hits in those 27.1 innings, and only gave up 1 home run. Cosart has struck out 29 batters, the club lead, and walked 11, also the highest total on the club. In the month of April Cosart has a WHIP of 1.10.

Honorable Mention: Wes Musick. 2.87 ERA in 15.2IP. WHIP of 0.87 with 15K's and 5 BB's.

AA

Corpus Christi (14-11) 1st place

Hitter of the month: George Springer .287/.407/.648. Springer is the only Hooks player with an OPS over 1 with an OPS of 1.056. He leads all Texas League hitters in homers with 8 and is also tops in OPS and total bases. Springer is tied with 2 other batter for the Texas League lead in RBI, and is 2nd over in slugging.
Honorable Mention: Austin Wates .317/.438/.467 and an OPS of .905. Of Wates 19 hits, 5 of them went for extra bases.Top prospect update: Domingo Santana .241/.343/.415 .826 OPS. 3 homers for Santana who missed some time on the DL.

Pitcher of the month: Jake Buchanan (2-0). 1.47 ERA (3rd in the Texas League) in 30.2 innings pitched, Buchanan is the innings leader on the Hooks staff. In those 30.2 innings he has allowed 20 hits, walked 2!, and given up 2 home runs. In the 2 games he didn't start he earned holds. Buchanan leads all Hooks pitchers with 20+ innings pitched with a WHIP of 0.72 (1st in the Texas League).

Honorable Mention: Corpus has a great rotation group of pitchers. Asher Wojciechowski (2-1) had a run of scoreless innings and has an ERA of 2.08. WoJo has 27 K's. Nick NiTro Tropeano (0-2) has a 2.16 ERA in 25IP. Bobby Doran (3-0) has a 2.31 ERA in 23.1IP. David Martinez (2-0) has a 1.19 ERA and the 3rd best WHIP in the Texas League at .88.

A

Lancaster (15-10) 1st place

Hitter of the month: Nolan Fontana .365/.513/.565 with a team leading OPS of 1.078 that is 2nd in the Cal League. His OBP is currently 2nd in the Cal League. Fontana leads the Cal League in walks with 27 and is 2nd and hits with 32. Fontana is 6th in total bases, one spot behind Preston Tucker, amongst Cal League hitters.

Honorable Mention: Preston Tucker .281/.352./.490. Of his 27 hits 10 went for extra bases (5 HR, 5 2B). He is tied for the club lead with 22 RBI.
Matt Duffy .324/.429/.592 OPS 1.020 and Zach Johnson .298/.362/.536 OPS .897 both deserve a mention.

Top prospect update: Delino DeShields .250/.341/.375 OPS .716. Deshields has 5 stolen bases and 6 caught stealing this April. He does lead the team in triples with 3. DDJ has walked 9 times and struck out 20 times in 72 at bats. Delino also has 2 errors on the year.

Pitcher of the month: Luis Cruz (1-1, SV) has a 3.47 ERA in 23.1 innings. Cruz struck out a club leading 30 batters (top ten in the Cal League)in that span to go along with 11 walks and 18 hits allowed, the lowest hit total of all Jethawk pitchers with 20 innings pitched. Cruz has a WHIP of 1.24, 2nd best on the club of pitchers with 20+ innings pitched, and top 15 in the Cal League.

Honorable Mention: Travis Ballew 3.52 ERA. 3 saves in 7.2 innings pitched to go along with 17 strike outs, 3 walks, and 5 hits. He sports a 1.04 WHIP.

Prospect Update: Mike Foltynewicz sports a 4.09 ERA in 4 starts and 6 appearances, totaling 22 innings pitched. Folty had a strong spring showing coming off an explosive appearance at the juice box against the cubs. However the Cal League hasn't been kind to MIke. He's allowed 25 hits in 22 innings. However, he hasn't had the best defense behind him. Of the 15 runs he has allowed only 10 were earned. Folty has given up a club leading 4 homers and 12 walks. Folty has K'd 24 batters and sports a WHIP of 1.68.

Low A

Quad Cities (15-9) 2nd place 3.0 GB

Hitter of the month: Teoscar Hernandez .295/.333/.432 OPS .765. TeoscarFACE Hernandez leads the club in total bases with 41. Of his club leading 28 hits, 10 went for extra bases (7 2B 3 3B). Hernandez has the most runs scored on the club, 18, and fits the lead off hitter role well. Hernandez also has 8 stolen bases.

Honorable Mention: Carlos Correa .221/.384/.397 OPS .781. Correa leads the club with 15 walks and 3 homers. Correa trails Hernandez for 2nd on the club in runs with 15.

Pitcher of the month: Vincent Velasquez (3-0) 2.45 ERA in 25.2IP. Other than his most recent appearance, Velasquez has been dominant. Velasquez started 3 games in April and won all 3. In his other 3 appearance he earned 2 saves. In 25.2 innings Velasquez allowed 14 hits, 7ER, 2HR, and walked 7. Velasquez is tied for 1st in the Midwest League in strikeouts with 31. His 0.82 WHIP is 5th in the Midwest League. If and when Quad Cities goes to a traditional rotation, you can pencil Velasquez as the #1 starter.

Top prospect update: Lance McCullers (0-3) 2.08 ERA in 21.2IP. McCullers allowed 22 hits, 5ER, walked 8 and struck out 20. He posted a 1.38 WHIP and seems to be adjusting to the challenge of full season ball.

Employees of the Month: April 2013

And so the Astros finished April with a record of 8-19. Which is five games better than what one of Danny Knobler's Scout Buddies predicted for the Astros in April. So with one month (plus one March game) in the books, let's get to the Astros' Employees of the Month. (Minor-League Employees of the Month will come later today).

Hitter:

Jose Altuve
This one could have gone one of two ways. But Altuve did what Altuve does, and that's rack up hits - his 37 hits are tied the Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera and Adam Jones for the Major-League lead. With Altuve as the only Astro with 50+ PAs to hit over .300, as well as being tied for team-lead in extra-base hits, and whose nine walks are third on the team, the honor goes to Altuve.


Honorable Mention:

Marwin Gonzalez

But it could have just as easily gone to Marwin Gonzalez. If you had Gonzalez leading the team (among players with 50+ PAs) in OPS, then you should be burned for witchcraft. Gonzalez is hitting .297/.338/.516 with three homers in April. That's 72 plate appearances. In 219 plate appearances in 2012, Gonzalez hit two homers. He's already over halfway to his 2012 extra-base hit total in a third of his PAs.  

Brandon Barnes
In 18 games (47PAs), Barnes is hitting .375/.468/.525 with 10K:6BB and a team-high three stolen bases.

Pitcher:

Lucas Harrell:
By default we have to go with Lucas Harrell. In six starts, Harrell was 3-2 with a 3.60 ERA/1.54 WHIP. In his last four starts, Harrell threw 24.2IP, 25H/5ER, 18K:9BB with a 1.82 ERA. In five of his six starts, Harrell has kept the opposition to two runs or less.

Honorable Mention:
Nobody.

June PreStros Employees of the Month

At this point in the season, the full season leagues have at least named their all-stars, if not already played the games. For younger players fatigue starts setting in as they're not quite used to the full schedule grind, and the stronger prospects start to pull away from the field. Let's see who's staying in the kitchen as the heat gets turned up.

OKC
15-13 in June

Hitter of the Month: Mike Hessman

For the second straight month, Mike Hessman gets the honors. In June, Mike hit .279/.319/.702 with 14 home runs and 27 runs batted in.

Pitcher of the Month: Mickey Storey

Mickey appeared in 10 games for Oklahoma City and threw 16 innings. During that stretch he posted a 0.56 ERA with three wins and one save. He struck out 15 and walked just two.

Honorable Mention:

Jimmy Paredes hit .324/.365/.454 with eight extra base hits and 11 steals.

CC
18-8 in June

Hitter of the Month: Kody Hinze

Kody finally showed the bat he displayed last season. He hit .306/.370/.542 with five homeruns in 72 at bats.

Pitcher of the Month: Alex Sogard

Alex is another guy who struggled early and is finally showing what he can do. During the month he pitched 11 innings in six appearances. While not factoring in any decisions or earning any saves, Alex put up an identical ERA and WHIP of 1.64 with nine strikeouts and three walks.

Honorable Mention:

Jonathan Villar hit .292/.396/.483 with five homers and 12 steals while drastically improving his walk rate and lowering his strikeout rate.

Jose Cisnero went 3-1 with a 2.18 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 33 innings.

Lancaster
12-12 in June

Hitter of the Month: Ben Heath

Ben has quietly but consistently put together a good season. In June he hit .407/.435/.627 with 12 runs, three home runs, and 16 rbi in 14 games.

Pitcher of the Month: Jose Trinidad

Jose built upon his May to put up unbelievable numbers in June. In eight games and 21 innings, he put up a 0.43 ERA and a 4-1 record out of the bullpen.

Honorable Mention:

Andrew Robinson went 0-1 with four saves while putting up a 2.40 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. He also struck out 22 in 15 innings.

George Springer hit .314/.455/.547 with five home runs while cutting his strikeout rate by a third.

Lexington
14-12 in June

Hitter of the Month: Brandon Meredith

After a slow May, Brandon came on in June to put up a line of .284/.382/.568 with six home runs.

Pitcher of the Month: Murilo Gouvea

Murilo went 1-1 with 1 save while putting up a 0.61 ERA. Opposing batters hit just .114 against him while he struck out 14 in 14.2 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Nick Tropeano put up a 2.22 ERA while going 3-1 on the month. He struck out 30 in 28.1 innings and was promoted to Lancaster just before month end.

Delino DeShields hit .303/.407/.424 with 22 runs and 25 steals as he has already broken the single season minor league stolen base record for the Astros organization.

May PreStros Employees of the Month

We've reached the point in the season where early trends start turning into something meaningful. Let's look at who made a name for themselves last month.

OKC
15-14 in May

Hitter of the Month: Mike Hessman

At 34 years old, Mike may be the old man in Oklahoma, but this RedHawks performed like a spring chicken in May. He hit .338/.460/.718 with eight home runs, 16 runs, and 17 rbi in 23 games while keeping first base warm for the Astros at AAA.

Pitcher of the Month: Jose Valdez

After earning an honorable mention last month, Jose grabbed the gold ring for May. In 13 appearances and 12 1/3 innings, Jose was 0-1 with seven saves while racking up 14 strikeouts to just five walks. He had a 2.92 ERA and 1.05 WHIP for the month and opponents hit just .174 against him.

Honorable Mention:

Justin Ruggiano hit .380/.426/.720 for OKC with four home runs and 18 rbi in just 15 games before being traded to Miami.

CC
13-15 in May

Hitter of the Month: Jon Singleton

Jonathan strengthened his push to take over for Mike Hessman by hitting .281/.400/.531 for the month with seven home runs, 20 runs, and 24 rbi.

Pitcher of the Month: Jason Stoffel

For the second month in a row, Stoffel dominated the Texas League out of the bullpen. In May he was 0-1 with four saves. In 12 appearances and 14 innings he posted a 1.29 ERA with 10 strikeouts and five walks, two of which were intentional.

Honorable Mention:

Ross Seaton went 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in six starts for Corpus.

Jose Martinez hit .342/.383/.532 with eight doubles, two triples, and three home runs.

Lancaster
17-13 in May

Hitter of the Month: George Springer

Springer took a big bounce forward in May. On the month he hit .324/.382/.622 with three triples, eight home runs, and seven steals. He scored 26 times and batted in 21 runs.

Pitcher of the Month: Jose Trinidad

Jose took on the role of long man in May and thrived. He went 2-2 with a 2.42 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. In 22  1/3 innings across 10 games he struck out 13 and walked four.

Honorable Mention:

Domingo Santana hit .304/.362/.609 with seven doubles, two triples, and eight home runs while knocking in 25.

Lexington
17-11 in May

Hitter of the Month: Matt Duffy

Matt also made the jump from honorable mention to the big prize. In May Matt hit .343/.416/.556 with an amazing 11 doubles and four home runs. He also stole three bases while scoring 18 runs.

Pitcher of the Month: Carlos Quevedo

Carlos wins this month out of an entire pitching staff that excelled in May. Carlos posted a 4-0 record while holding a 1.40 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. Opponents hit just .209 and Carlos notched 19 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings while walking just two.

Honorable Mention:

Jason Chowning had six saves with a 1.42 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings.

Luis Cruz was 4-0 with a 1.85 ERA in six starts.

April PreStros Employees of the Month

The first month of the season is in the books and the improvement in the farm system is already evident. Let's look at some interesting early numbers.

OKC
16-9
1st place in their division by .5 games

As a team, the RedHawks are hitting .285/.356/.429 with a team ERA of 3.42.

Hitter of the Month: Scott Moore

Scott is hitting .397/.519/.714 with 12 doubles, two home runs, 15 runs scored, and 21 runs batted in through 23 games with 13 walks and 14 strikeouts. He's spent most of the season splitting time with Brett Wallace at third base, but he's also seen time at first and second and he's yet to commit an error at any position.

Pitcher of the Month: Dallas Keuchel


Dallas finished April with a 4-1 record and 1.62 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 33.1 innings in five starts. He's struck out 16 while walking just seven.

Honorable Mention:

Fernando Martinez is hitting .315/.374/.517 with four home runs.

Jose Valdez has a 1.74 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 10.1 innings. He has 12 strikeouts and three walks (two were intentional) with four saves.

CC
12-12
3rd in their division, three games back

As a team, the Hooks are hitting .264/.334/.428 with a team ERA of 4.78.

Hitter of the Month: Brandon Barnes

Brandon is hitting .353/.398/.659 with 14 doubles, four home runs, 18 runs scored and 21 runs batted in through 22 games with five walks and 22 strikeouts. He's been the teams primary center fielder where he's had two outfield assists.

Pitcher of the Month: Jason Stoffel

Jason has appeared in nine games in relief with two saves and has a 1.93 ERA and 0.53 WHIP through 9.1 innings. He's racked up ten strikeouts to just one walk, hasn't allowed a home run, and has given up just 3.9 hits per nine innings.

Honorable Mention:

Austin Wates is hitting .340/.392/.457 with five steals.

Jose Cisnero is 2-2 with a 3.80 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. He's struck out 30 in 23.2 innings.

Lancaster
10-14
4th in their division, four games back

The JetHawks are hitting .266/.333/.431 with a team ERA of 5.03.

Hitter of the Month: Telvin Nash

Telvin is hitting .247/.348/.623 with nine home runs, 14 runs and 15 runs batted in through 20 games with 11 walks and 28 strikeouts. He's played mostly left field with a few games at first base with no errors and one outfield assist.

Pitcher of the Month: Ruben Alaniz

Ruben is 2-0 with a 2.80 ERA and 1.10 WHIP through five starts and 31 innings. He's yet to allow a home run and has 26 strikeouts and seven walks.

Honorable Mention:

Jiovanni Mier is hitting .288/.406/.388 with 15 walks in 22 games.

Wes Musick is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He has 22 strikeouts and five walks in 24.1 innings across four starts.

Lexington
11-14
5th in their division, six games back

The Legends are hitting .238/.324/.344 with a team ERA of 4.78.

Hitter of the Month: Zach Johnson

Zach is hitting .275/.376/.505 with nine doubles, four home runs, 13 runs scored and 30 (!) runs batted in. He's been the clubs main first baseman where he has a .994 fielding percentage.

Pitcher of the Month: Dayan Diaz

Dayan has appeared in nine games in relief with a 4-1 record and two saves with a 0.49 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He has struck out 19 in 18.1 innings and has not yet allowed a home run.

Honorable Mention:

Matt Duffy is hitting .296/.343/.459 with four home runs.

Nick Tropeano is 1-2 despite a 2.36 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. He hasn't allowed a home run and has 33 strikeouts and eight walks in 26.2 innings.

Employees of the Month: June 2011

Remember, Employees of the Month get 10% off in the Team Store, and get to park near the front. Let's go...

Houston Astros:
Carlos Lee - was 30x99 with 11K:15BB and 3HR, hitting .303/.388/.505 in June.

Bud Norris - went 2-2 (somehow) with a 2.53 ERA/1.03 WHIP, allowing 20H/9ER, 27K:13BB in 32IP. Opponents hit .183/.270/.229.

Oklahoma City:
Drew Locke - hit .309/.377/.509, with seven extra-base hits.

Wesley Wright - In 17IP, allowed 13H/5ER, 13K:7BB, and opponents hit .213 against him.

Corpus:
Jose Altuve - Who else? In 27 games he got 40 hits, hitting .364/.383/.564.

Dallas Keuchel - In 33IP Keuchel allowed 24H/8ER, 22K:8BB, getting a 2.40 GB/FB ratio.

Lancaster:
Kody Hinze - Unbelievable. Three straight months with an OPS above 1.000, and June was his best so far. Hit .357/.505/.690, with eight homers, 20K:24BB.

Kirk Clark - In ten games (12.2IP), allowed 7H/2ER, 9K:1BB.

Lexington:
Tyler Burnett - This was a difficult choice, but Burnett hit .286/.375/.377 with 11 walks in June

Jason Chowning - In 14.1IP, he allowed 13H/3ER, 12K:3BB.

Next month we'll hit up Tri-City, Greeneville, and the GCL Astros.

Eddie's Farm Employees of the Month: May 2011

Here are your Employees of the Month for May 2011!

Oklahoma City

Robinson Cancel! The pudgy catcher hit .370/.430/.514 in 21 games, striking out just nine times in 72 ABs, before earning a call-up with Jordan Lyles.

Jordan Lyles! The Astros undisputed top prospect threw 32IP, allowing 28H/10ER, 22K:10BB, and holding opponents to a .239 BAA.

Corpus

Jake Goebbert! Hit .299/.400/.506 in 23 May games, picking up the slack from J.D. Martinez' injury. At Whataburger Field this season, he's hitting .375/.487/.656.

The Throwing Employee of the Month was a toss-up between Keuchel and Cedeno, but we give it to Xavier Cedeno. In 33.2IP in May, Cedeno allowed 26H/11ER, 30K:14BB, with 2.53 GB:FB ratio.

Lancaster

Jose Altuve. Of course.

Colton Pitkin! In 10 appearances (14IP), Pitkin allowed 10H/4ER, 8K:3BB, for a .204 BAA in May.

Lexington

Adam Bailey! Hit .306/.366/.532 in 28 games, with 15K:9BB and 14 XBH (8 doubles, 1 triple, 5 homers) in May.

Mike Foltynewicz! Not only did he earn his first professional win, but went 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA, with 25H/11ER, 20K:12BB in 27IP.

Astros Employee of the Month

Your Employees of the Month for the Houston Astros are...

Brett Wallace. This was a no-brainer. He led the team in hits, doubles, batting average, OBP, SLG, and - by default - OPS, which is 10th in the National League.

Wandy Rodriguez. You may have thought that Brett Myers would have been in this spot, but Wandy has walked just nine batters in 38IP - and his 4.26 ERA is inflated by a .356 BABIP.

If Brett and Wandy would like to drop by the office, they will also get a free sno-cone.

Eddie's Farm Employees of the Month: April 2011

And now we can start up the Employees of the Month segment again. Just a reminder, Employees of the Month get to park up front, and get 10% off in the store.

Oklahoma City

Position Player: Koby Clemens. Led the team with a .923 OPS, hitting .284/.369/.554, with five doubles and five homers.

Pitcher: Jordan Lyles. In 27IP, allowed 29 hits and walked six batters, with 19Ks.

Corpus

Position Player: Would have gone to Brandon Wikoff, if he had played in more than 13 games. Wladimir Sutil was also in on the honor, but we're going with J.D. Martinez. Martinez hit .341/.394/.553 in 22 games, with 12 doubles and 23RBI, and also drew 10 walks.

Pitcher: Dallas Keuchel. In four starts, Keuchel posted a 3.81 ERA/1.15 WHIP, and walked only three batters in 26IP.

Lancaster

Position Player: Jose Altuve. Altuve hit .435/.485/.652, but also had 11K:10BB and stole 12 bases during April. His 40 hits in April are 13 more than 2nd-best Kody Hinze and Jay Austin.

Pitcher: Jake Buchanan. Threw 28.1IP with a 1.91 ERA/0.88 WHIP, walking just six batters over the month.

Lexington

Position Player: Chris Wallace, obviously. Wallace hit .368/.468/.795 with 17 of his 33 hits coming in for extra-bases.

Pitcher: Tanner Bushue. Bushue was 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA/0.97 WHIP, walking just five batters in 26.2IP.

Eddie's Farm: July Employees of the Month

It's that time of the month again (no, not that. Well, yeah, I suppose for some people it is that time of the month)! Eddie's Farm Employees of the Month get 10% off in the Team Store, and get to park in the Special Designated Parking Spot.

Round Rock

Position Player: Brian Bogusevic. Followed up a .274/.344/.434 June with a .301/.421/.447 July. For the first time this season, and maybe in his career, he drew more walks (21) than strikeouts (20), and posted a season-high .867 OPS.

Pitcher: This one was tough, but it's going back to Josh Banks. He didn't have a great month - in fact going 0-2 with a a 4.82 ERA. But he did allow 31H and 4BB in 28IP.

Corpus

Position Player: This could go to catcher Jon Fixler, but he only played in 15 games, posting a .317/.404/.634 line in those games. However, due to more production in twice as many ABs, it goes to Jon Gaston. In 29 games he hit .324/.376/.546 for a .922 OPS - topping his June OPS by 331 points. Yes, 331 points.

Pitcher: Another tough one. But it's going to Jeremy Johnson. Finished July with a 3.89 ERA and 40H (12BB) in 34.2IP.

Lancaster

Position Player: It was difficult, but because there were a couple of good candidates. This month it goes to Brian Pellegrini. Coming off surgery, Pellegrini posted a .303/.407/.566 line with five doubles, five homers, 19K:12BB in 20 games.

Pitcher: Here's a surprising choice - Leandro Cespedes. His ERA was highly inflated (5.92), but he allowed 38 baserunners in in 24.1IP, posting a 1.18 groundball/flyball rate - the first month since April that it wasn't upside-down - but with 25K:9BB, he's as deserving as anyone else.

Lexington

Position Player: Not sure how we don't give it to Jose Altuve. He hit .346/.402/.449 in 26 games, with 12K:10BB in 107ABs, with 15 stolen bases in 17 attempts.

Pitcher: Going to roll this out to Tanner Bushue. He suffered from a high ERA, though his 4.39 July ERA was almost a run and a half lower than his June ERA. Bushue only allowed 32 baserunners (23H/9BB) in 26.2IP, and had a groundball/flyball ratio above 1.00 (1.55, actually) for the first time this season, holding hitters to a .237 average.

Tri-City

Position Player: Tyler Burnett. Dude hit .330/.439/.511 in 25 games in July, with 16K:18BB.

Pitcher: Goes to reliever Travis Blankenship - who allowed 17 baserunners in 13.2IP, though did post a 0.66 ERA, holding hitters to a .196 BAA.

Greeneville

Position Player: Marcus Nidiffer. Hit .302/.400/.538 in 29 games, with 12 extra-base hits. Struck out a ton (34 times), though he did walk 10 times. Also had five stolen bases in six attempts.

Pitcher: Giving this to Vincent Velasquez. In five games - three starts - Velasquez has posted 18K (4BB) in 15.2IP for a 2.87 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Hitters are tagging him for a .194 BAA.

GCL Astros

Position Player: Ryan Ditthardt. Ditthardt is hitting .340/.411/.460 in 17 games, with four of his 17 hits coming for extra-bases.

Pitcher: Jose Perdomo! In 28IP in July, Perdomo has 31K:7BB, allowing 18 hits and no homers.

Eddie's Farm Employees of the Month: June

Another month has come and gone for Eddie's Farm. So who are the Employees of the Month?

Round Rock

Position Player: Drew Locke. Locke followed up a strong May with another strong month, earning the honor of the Eddie's Farm Employee of the Month. Locke was 32x101 (.317/.343/.525) with 14 extra-base hits.

Pitcher: His one brutal outing for the Astros notwithstanding, this goes to Josh Banks. He was 3-1 (7-2 since April), allowing 23H/8BB in 30IP for the Express in June, for a 1.50 ERA. Hitters managed a .219 line against him.

Honorable mention: Jonah Bayliss. In eight appearances (11IP) in June, Bayliss allowed 4H/1ER, 14K:0BB.

Corpus

Position Player: Jack Shuck. Hit .347/.426/.376 in 25 games in June with 13K:14BB.

Honorable Mention: German Duran. Hit .342/.398/.425, with 8K:8BB.

Pitcher: Jordan Lyles (though you could insert Doug Arguello in here, too). Allowed 29H/7ER in 30IP, with 33K:9BB, and was rewarded with a 1-2 record.

Lancaster

Position Player: Initially had a hard time giving it to a 27-year old in the California League, but Lee Cruz hit .400/.429/.650 in June, so that took care of that.

Pitcher: Wasn't even close. Dallas Keuchel was 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four starts, allowing 25H/6ER in 27.1IP, with 23K:6BB. Looking forward to seeing him in Corpus.

Lexington

Position Player: Our Boy Aaron Bray followed up an April in which his OPS was .440 with a May in which his OPS was .470. June, however, saw him post a .391/.451/.516 line, for a .966 OPS. J.D. Martinez posted a .994 OPS in June, but since Bray is Our Boy, and hit .391, he's our winner.

Pitcher: Zach Grimmett. In seven appearances (20IP), Grimmett allowed 12 hits and five walks for a 1.80 ERA.

We'll pick up with Tri-City, Greeneville, and the GCL Astros when they've had a chance to play more than 10 games.

Eddie's Farm Employees of the Month!

I know it's June 3, but I've been busy getting sunburned. And now that we're back at it, it's time to name the Eddie's Farm Employees of the Month for May.

Round Rock

Position Player: Jason Bourgeois. This could have been between a few players (Johnson, Bogusevic, Castro, etc), but how do you not give it to a guy who hit .387/.421/.571 over 29 games in May? He only struck out 12 times in 119 ABs, and hit 13 extra-base hits.

Pitcher: Casey Daigle. Daigle pitched in 15.2IP (14 games) in May, allowing 3ER with 13K:3BB, posting a 1.72 ERA/1.15 WHIP.

Corpus

Position Player: Jack Shuck. Shuck hit .317/.388/.423, with 15K:12BB in 28 games for the Hooks in May.

Pitcher: This was down to Arguello, Lyles, and Lumsden. But ultimately, Doug Arguello wins. Arguello went 4-1 with 8ER allowed in 36.1IP for a 1.98 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in May.

Lancaster

Position Player: Mark Ori. Ori followed up an April in which he hit .275/.375/.319 by hitting .352/.364/.438 and 20RBI.

Pitcher: Dallas Keuchel. In six May starts, Keuchel had a 3.29 ERA (over three runs/9 better than April) and a 1.28 WHIP.

Lexington

Position Player: J.D. Martinez. Hit .339/.411/.587 with 17 XBH-22RBI for the month. Posted a .940 OPS in April, and followed that up with a .998 OPS in May.

Pitcher: Robby Donovan. In 30IP in May, he was 3-1, allowing five earned runs for a 1.50 ERA/1.20 WHIP.

Employees of the Month!

Another month in this miserable season has come and gone, and it's time to reward someone with an arbitrary award!

Employees of the Month receive 10% in the store, and get to park up front.

Position Players

Hunter Pence. Turned around a .579 OPS in April to an .852 OPS in May, hitting .302/.333/.519 in 106 ABs. In April, he struck out 11 times in 84 PAs and struck out the same amount in 106 PAs in May.

Pitchers

Roy would normally get this - but not this month. This goes to Brett Myers, who was 2-1 in five starts with a 2.65 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. The Astros won nine games all month, and three of those when Myers pitched (the other two were both 4-3 losses).

Eddie's Farm Employees of the Month

Round Rock

Position Players: Jason Bourgeois! Bourgeois hit .328 for Round Rock in 18 games, striking out just 11 times and walking ten times, and stealing eleven bases (caught twice). Slash line of .328/.416/.448.

Pitchers: Andy Van Hekken! Van Hekken started four games, and went 1-1 with a 1.66 ERA/1.01 WHIP, with a 23K:4BB ratio, .225 against, and no homers allowed.

Corpus

PP: I thought really hard about giving it to Marcos Cabral, who posted a .378/.440/.511 line, with 3K:5BB in 45 ABs. However, he played in eight less games than Koby Clemens, who tentatively gets this award. In 80ABs, Clemens hit .263/.333/.575 with 7HR, 4 2B, and 18RBI. The reason this is tentative is because of the 28Ks in 84ABs. Get that crap under control. But w/RISP, Clemens is 8x20 with 5XBH.

Pitchers: Henry Villar was deserving, what with his 0.66 ERA/0.73 WHIP in eight relief appearances, but it has to go to Jordan Lyles. In four starts, Lyles threw 22IP, allowing 18H/6ER, 25K:4BB for a 2.45 ERA/1.00 WHIP.

Lancaster

PP: This wasn't even hard. Albert Cartwright. Hit .333/.377/.542 in 20 games in April with 10XBH and 5SBs. His .918 OPS was the only one above .800.

Pitchers: This almost went to Kyle Greenwalt, who had performed the best amongst the JetHawk starters, but I had to give it to reliever David Berner. His seven appearances resulted in three saves, but he also posted a 1.20 ERA / 0.80 WHIP, allowing 11 hits and one walk, with 16 strikeouts. That's right, 16K:1BB.

Lexington

PP: This was a tough one, but due to having more ABs to perform, J.D. Martinez edges out Kody Hinze. Martinez hit .365/.419/.521 with 10XBH and 19RBI, striking out 14 times in 96ABs.

Pitchers: Tanner Bushue! In five starts, Bushue threw 25.2IP, allowed 23H/8ER for a 2.81 ERA/1.32 WHIP. He struck out 26, and walked 11 - eight of them with runners already on (so that's going to have to get worked out), but overall, an excellent showing.

Employees of the Month!

Hey! So April is done with (thank God), and it's time to renew our Employees of the Month piece. Employees of the Month receive 10% in the store, and get to park up front.

Position Players

This wasn't even hard. Michael Bourn. He's the only player hitting over .280 (.311), and he's the only one who has an OBP over .360 (.407). He's also leading the team in runs scored (12), stolen bases (9), and is second in OPS (.785).

Pitchers

This was not hard either. Roy Oswalt. Leading the team in ERA, ERA+, WHIP, Ks, Hits/9, and K:BB ratio.

Astros County's 1st Annual Spring Training Awards

And the Eric Munson Spring Training Offensive MVP goes to...

Chris Johnson

Johnson broke out this Spring, proving he absolutely can hit, and got an Opening Day roster spot for his efforts. He finished the Spring hitting .323/.391/.790, leading the team in homers (8), RBI (22), total bases (49), and drew six walks.

And the Taylor Buchholz Spring Training Pitcher of the Spring goes to...

Casey Daigle

If the Astros hadn't nutted it and exercised Brian Moehler's $3 million option, there may have been a spot on the team for Daigle, who gave up one earned run in 15.2IP for a 0.57 ERA, striking out 17 and walking just one. Daigle hit more batters (2) than he walked.

Employees of the Month: September

Because there aren't any meaningful games in October, we'll go ahead and call it with the Employees of the Month for September. Winners get 10% off in the Astros County store, and a parking spot up front for the month.

Position Player
Miguel Tejada. Making his push for 200 hits by going .363/.387/.549 and getting 37 hits, 12 of them for extra-bases, and seven multi-hit games.

Pitcher
Goes again to Jose Valverde. He had five saves in September for a 1.80 ERA/0.90 WHIP. Opponents hit .152/.237/.242.