The month of June has finished, and it’s time to discuss how the prospects performed for the Baltimore Orioles.
This past month, we saw the end of the first half, some great walk-off home runs and consistently great ballgames.
With that said, let’s get right into the Prospects of the Month for June.
Delmarva Shorebirds: Aron Estrada – INF
For the second month in a row, Aron Estrada was the best hitter on the Shorebirds and could honestly be the Player of the Month for the Carolina League.
Estrada played in 24 games and slashed .356/.416/.589 with a Carolina-League-high 1.005 OPS. He tied for first with 32 hits, had seven doubles, a triple and four home runs and also walked eight times while stealing 11 bases in 12 attempts.
Estrada has been the best player for Delmarva all season. His 73 hits are a team-high and are tied for second in the Carolina League. The 19-year-old has a .290/.350/.440 slash line with a .790 OPS on the season, with 22 stolen bases in 26 attempts.
Aberdeen IronBirds: Yaqui Rivera – RHP
Yaqui Rivera has had a very good season, and it has gone under the radar for the most part. His month of June, though, should not go quiet after the stats he put up.
In nine games, Rivera went 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings pitched, collecting a save, giving up just five hits and three earned runs, walking seven batters and striking out 15. Rivera also had a WHIP of 0.86 and held batters to a .106 batting average.
In 22 games pitched, the 20-year-old right-hander has posted a 1.99 ERA in 31.2 innings and has struck out 31 batters, collected three saves, has only given up seven earned runs and has held batters to a .150 average.
Bowie Baysox: John Rhodes – OF
After a struggling month of May for John Rhodes, it’s nice to see him break out and be the offensive producer we know him to be in the month of June.
Rhodes played in 19 games and slashed .296/.333/.437 with a .770 OPS. The former third-round pick tallied 21 hits, four of which were for extra bases, and knocked in 15. A big confidence booster for the former Kentucky Wildcat.
Rhodes is having a down season, which is unfortunate to say, as the 23-year-old is a much-loved prospect. He has a .658 OPS this season with just 48 hits and five home runs, but he still has Gold Glove potential in the outfield and has an absolute cannon of an arm.
Norfolk Tides: Nolan Hoffman – RHP
In spring training of 2023, I hyped up Nolan Hoffman after just a few games, and I think that he is living up to the hype. After having a month of May where he finished with a 6.10 ERA, Hoffman brought that ERA down in Norfolk to not giving up a single earned run in six games.
Hoffman pitched 11.1 scoreless innings and only walked four batters, gave up six hits and struck out 16 for the month. Hoffman held batters to a .154 average as well.
Hoffman has looked solid this season, pitching to a 3.52 ERA in 30.2 innings and 22 games. He has struck out 43 batters, walked 19 and given up 12 earned runs.
Overall Prospect: Keagan Gillies – RHP
There are five Bowie pitchers alone that were highly considered to go in the overall prospect spot, but Keagan Gillies was the most rewarding of the spot.
In 10 games, Gillies had a 1.35 ERA in 13.1 innings and collected three saves. The 26-year-old only gave up seven hits, two earned runs, three walks, while striking out 17 and holding batters to a .152 average.
Gillies really needed this month after struggling in the month of May, consisting of a 10.38 ERA in just 4.1 innings pitched. Overall, he holds a 4.44 ERA in 24.1 innings of work and has only walked 10 batters this season, striking out 31.
Which prospects stood out to you for the month of June? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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