HITTER OF THE MONTH
Trey Harris (Rome):
You bet he is old for the Sally League (23), but then we was only a 32nd round pick last year out of Missouri. His hot start in 2018 allowed has him atop the massive South Atlantic League with a .376 mark for the month. A .300-plus start last season allowed him to jump from the Gulf Coast league to Rome in 2018. Terrific leadoff man, but has moved around in order.
Plus, he began May with a two-homer game. Harris should easily finish in Miss., and should get there sooner rather than later.
.376-1-12, 32 hits in 24 games. 14 runs, 1.001 OPS. Only 11 Ks with 12 XBH.
Harris is a local hero, hailing from Power Springs. Grew up about four miles from the new SunTrust Field in Cobb County. Also has an amazing trivia fact: Harris was the first player to hit a home run that counted in SunTrust Field, hitting it against Georgia in an early April game in the new stadium. Undrafted as a high school senior or college junior.
Candidates
Cristian Pache (Miss.): .321-2-16, league leading 4 triples. 11 runs. Negative: 25 Ks.
Drew Waters (Miss.): .319-2-19. 17 runs, league leading 11 doubles. Negative: 28 Ks.
***First, to make this fair, Adam Duvall is NOT a minor league player. He is a MLB Gold Glover stashed at Gwinnett.
Duvall would be right atop this list, of course: .312-8-21 for the month. 17 extra base hits. 1.081 OPS.
PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Hayden Deal (Florida)
With all of the talented, high-dollar arms in the Braves' system, they have nothing on this free agent signee out of Presbyterian. The first player to sign a pro contract out of the school since 2013, the Braves came to terms with Deal on June 25, 2017 -- and he hasn't looked back. Mostly a reliever in college, he made the transition to starter fulltime this year and is paying major rewards:
Hayden Deal (Florida): 5 G, 2-1, 1.20, 30 IP, 16 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 27 K, 0.73 WHiP
Like Harris, Deal was a college senior, having gotten his degree from PU before he signed on the spot following a tryout at his high school. In 2018, he was an eye-catching 9-1, 2.17 with two saves at Rome -- a place where he made an impact late in 2017. Called up from the GCL, Deal drove from Orlando to Rome, threw on a uniform and got a win with four shutout innings of work (his only 2017 appearance in Rome). His career numbers: 14-4, 2.20 with 46 games pitched.
Nominee
Ben Rowen (Mississippi & Gwinnett): 8 G, 3-0, 1.13, 16 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 16 K
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