Texas Rangers Minor League Award Winners for July

The Texas Rangers announced the organization’s minor league award winners for July:

Player of the Month – INF Blaine Crim
Starting Pitcher of the Month – LHP Emmanuel Martinez
Reliever of the Month – LHP Antoine Kelly
Defender of the Month – OF Daniel Mateo

Minor League Award Winners for July

Breakdown on how each award winner fared last month.

Player of the Month – INF Blaine Crim

Crim, 26, batted .329/.456/.658/1.113 (24-73) with 6 home runs, a triple, 4 doubles, 14 RBI, and 15 walks/19 strikeouts across 21 games for Round Rock (AAA) last month. He ranked among Pacific Coast League leaders for July in home runs (T3rd), OPS (6th), times on base (7th, 41), on-base pct. (8th), total bases (T9th, 48), and batting average (T11th). The Mobile, Ala. native homered in 3 straight contests from July 9-15 (3 total HR), including a season high-tying 4-hit game on July 14 at Tacoma (4-for-4, HR, 2B, RBI). A former 19th round selection by Texas in the 2019 MLB Draft, Crim has slashed .280/.385/.502/.887 (96-343) with 15 home runs, 5 triples, 21 doubles, and 53 RBI over 95 games for the Express in 2023.

Starting Pitcher of the Month – LHP Emmanuel Martinez

Martinez, who turns 20 years old on August 28, went 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA (5 ER/22.2 IP) and 32 strikeouts/6 walks over 5 games/3 starts for the Dominican Summer League Rangers Red (Rk.) in July, holding opposing hitters to a .110/.195/.151/.346 (8-73) slash line with just 3 extra-base hits (all doubles). The left-hander recorded a season-high 9 strikeouts in his start on July 15 vs. DSL Red Sox Blue (W, 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R-ER, 0 BB, 9 SO) and fanned 8 batters across 5.0 scoreless innings in a relief appearance on July 28 at DSL Yankees (W, 5.0 IP, 0 H, 3 BB, 8 SO). Martinez has posted a 3-0 record, 2.27 ERA (9 ER/35.2 IP), and 52 strikeouts/13 walks in 9 games/5 starts with DSL Rangers Red this season. The Dominican Republic native was originally signed by Texas as a non-drafted free agent on December 13, 2021.

Reliever of the Month – LHP Antoine Kelly

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Kelly allowed just one unearned run in 10 relief outings for Frisco (AA) last month, compiling a 1-0 record, 0.00 ERA (0 ER/11.1 IP), and 15 strikeouts/2 walks. He struck out multiple batters in 6 of 10 appearances and held opponents to a .171/.227/.244/.471 (7-41) slash line. Originally acquired by the Rangers in a trade involving right-handed pitcher Matt Bush on August 2, 2022, Kelly has gone 3-0 with 7 saves, a 2.18 ERA (10 ER/41.1 IP), and 53 strikeouts over 35 outings for the RoughRiders in 2023. He has surrendered zero earned runs over his last 18 games (20.1 IP) dating back to June 13, and ranks among Texas League leaders this season (min. 40.0 IP) in ERA (5th), opp. BA (6th, .186), and strikeouts per 9.0 innings (11th, 11.54). The Chicago native is currently rated among the top prospects in the Texas farm system by MLB Pipeline (no. 20) and FanGraphs (no. 23).

Defender of the Month – OF Daniel Mateo

Mateo, 22, recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding pct. in 42 total chances (41 PO, 1 A) over 19 games/start in center field with Hickory (A+) in July. He has served as the Crawdads’ primary center fielder this season, producing a .978 fielding pct. across a team-high 80 starts at the position. Signed by Texas as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic on May 14, 2019, Mateo has batted .258 (87-337) with 7 home runs, 45 RBI, and 21 stolen bases over 84 games with Hickory in 2023.

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