Third baseman wins club's Player of the Month, promoted right-hander wins Pitcher of the Month
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AUG. 7, 2013) - Third baseman Rio Ruiz is the Quad Cities River Bandits Player of the Month for July, and right-handed pitcher Jordan Jankowski is the team's Pitcher of the Month, the Houston Astros announced on Tuesday.
The Houston Astros Player Development Department named a Pitcher and Player of the Month at each of their eight minor league affiliates. These awards are chosen every month by the field staff of each team.
Ruiz, the Astros' fourth-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, had his best month of the season with a .279 batting average, three home runs and a team-high 15 RBIs in 23 games at third base. The 19-year-old Covina, Calif., native had seven multi-hit games, six doubles and one triple for a .477 slugging percentage during July. Until July 20, he had a 26-road-game on-base streak that is currently tied for second longest in the Midwest League this season. Through Monday, Ruiz was second on the team with eight home runs and third with 47 RBIs and a .399 slugging percentage.
Jankowski, the Astros' 34th round pick in 2012, posted a 1.86 ERA while walking just one batter in six outings spanning 19 2/3 innings in July. The McMurray, Pa., native's 0.72 walks-plus-hits-per-inning-pit
Below is a list of the Players and Pitchers of the Month this season for Quad Cities:
Month Player Pitcher
April Teoscar Hernandez Vincent Velasquez
May Carlos Correa Lance McCullers
June Carlos Correa Colton Cain
July Rio Ruiz Jordan Jankowski
Through Monday, every Astros minor league affiliate has a .500 or better record, and they are a combined 369-270 for a .577 winning percentage - the best among any organization's minor league system. Five affiliates - Triple-A Oklahoma City, Double-A Corpus Christi, advanced Class-A Lancaster, short-season Class-A Tri-City and rookie-level Greeneville were each in or tied for first place in their respective divisions through Monday. Corpus Christi and Lancaster have already clinched playoff spots with first-half division titles.
UP NEXT: Modern Woodmen Park is a nominee for the "Best Minor League Ballpark" in the 2013 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, and fans can vote once per day at 10Best.com until the winner is announced Aug. 14. The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park Wednesday, Aug. 7. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 112 feet over the playing field, is planned for next spring, along with a carousel and other new games and attractions. This season, the team just unveiled a new 300-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, a Mediacom Frog Hopper, and a number of new bounce houses . The team also boasts a new major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, and fans can see the first team in Minor League Baseball history with back-to-back No. 1 overall draft picks - 2012 top pick Carlos Correa and 2013 top pick Mark Appel, as well as 2012 first-round draft choice Lance McCullers. With new rides, new attractions, new improvements, a new affiliate and future major league stars, the second half of this season is one every fan will not want to miss!
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