Cade Horton – Pic by Nick Grant/Tennessee Smokies

Normally, I put out a monthly All-Star team on the first of every month during the season. This year, I am going to do something a little bit different. I am just gonna recap the month in terms of statistical leaders and then pick the players of the month. I thought that would be a little bit more fun for me to put together because it’s different but also it’s a way for you to look and see who is doing what in the system.

Let’s get started with hitters!

Hitting Stat Leaders

Average – Pedro Ramirez .345 (He went 4-for-5 last night to top Vazquez)
HR – Matt Mervis – 5
RBI – Andy Garriola – 25
SB – Cristian Hernandez – 8
OBP – Yohendrick Pinango – .467, Brett Bateman – .465
wRC+ – Yohendrick Pinango – 187
Lowest Swing Strike % – Pinango and James Triantos – 6.1%
Highest Walk % – Yohendrick Pinango – 22.9%
Lowest K% Rate – James Triantos – 10%

Hitter of the Month

Some of you are probably thinking I should pick Matt Mervis or Luis Vazquez. However, I am going to roll with Yohendrick Pinango of South Bend. He led the system in a few categories above including wRC+ and walk percentage, which is astounding, considering that he was about 4-5% in 2021. Pinango is entering his third season at South Bend and he’s back to hitting like he was in Myrtle Beach but with more power. Getting married helped him a lot as he’s just grown up this year. You have to remember he is still only 21-years-old playing at level where he’s about two years younger than average.

If I were to pick a runner up, Pablo Aliendo of Tennessee would get the nod for his outstanding month for the Smokies.

Starting Pitching Stat Leaders

ERA – Sam Armstrong – 0.00, Cade Horton 1.10
Ks – Thomas Pannone – 28, Nick Dean – 25, Riley Thompson – 24
Ks/9 – Nick Dean – 18.29
K/BB Ratio – Cade Horton 9.00
Batting Average Against – Drew Gray .105
xFIP – Nick Dean 1.39

Starting Pitcher of the Month

This was a tough one. They were three candidates. I thought that were worthy. One was Kate Horton, a second was Juan Bello. and the third was Sam Armstrong. For me, I had to consider that Armstrong had some very good numbers but he only made two starts vs. four by Horton and four by Bello. Bello struck 21 in 14+ innings while Horton only whiffed 18 in 16. And then there’s Armstrong’s 19. Armstrong did not allow a run all month while Horton’s ERA was at 1.10 and Bello was at 1.78. As you can see, if it is a tough choice.

So, I needed to dig deeper.

It was in the advanced stats that Horton really separated himself from Bello and Armstrong. His xFIP of 2.73 was second behind Nick Dean for starters. His walk rate was miniscule at 1.10/9 innings. Horton’s swinging strike percentage was almost higher than everyone but Dean. So, Cade Horton is the Starting Pitcher of April.

For May, Nick Dean looks like he could be in the running if not for one big innings.

Reliever Stat Leaders

ERA – Eduarniel Nunez, Frankie Scalzo, and Brody McCullough – 0.00
Ks – Riley Martin – 22
Ks/9 – Kenyi Perez – 20.86
K/BB Ratio – Brad Wieck – 15.00
Batting Average Against – Scalzo 0.89
xFIP – Zac Leigh 2.33

Reliever of the Month

The was the hardest selection in years to pick. There were just so many guys that were so good at Tennessee from Frankie Scalzo to Eduarniel Nunez and to Zac Leigh. You could even throw converted catcher Shane Marshall and his 1.17 ERA in the mix.

As for the winner, I am going with Michael Arias. Here’s why: He wasn’t a reliever until this year. So, in just one month, Arias debuted as a reliever at Double-A with a 0.71 ERA and struck out 15 in 12,2 innings all while learning the role. His tiny WHIP of 0.71 is fascinating. And this might be an understatement, but he got better as the month wore on. I cannot wait to see how he does in May! He might even be in Iowa by the end of the month.

Biggest Surprises

It is Reggie Preciado and his outstanding April that saw him hit over .300 with a near .800 OPS. Most had given him up for dead as a prospect. But now that he is healthy and only hitting from the right side, Preciado looks reborn and has even been playing in the outfield.

Some people think that Brett Bateman was a surprise, but I don’t see it that way. I expected him to do well and to get on base. Seeing Sam Armstrong and Juan Bello pitch so well this month has been an extremely big surprise. Jefferson Rojas is a surprise, and he is not a surprise. I thought he would hold his own plate, but I did not foresee him, just having mature at bat after mature at bat. He is on his way to being a top 50 prospect this summer.

We could also put Cristian Hernandez in this list as he seems to be figuring some things out this year at Myrtle Beach. Chris Paciolla could be added to this list as I really like how he’s developing at Myrtle Beach. He could, later this year, just go on a tear for an extended stretch. I’ll be excited if that’s something he can do

And the final surprise has been the performance of relief pitcher Francis Reynoso, who skipped the Arizona Complex League and went straight from the Dominican to Myrtle Beach. He’s flashed a mid 90s fastball and a nice little breaker that allows him to compete at Low-A.

Fastest Riser for Upcoming Rankings

Considering that Jefferson Rojas was already in the top 10 on most lists, he’s only going to rise into the top 5. Alfonsin Rosario is going to be the guy that’s going to shoot up throughout this summer. Arizona Phil thinks he’s a top 15 guy already and, if his power continues, he could be a top 10-12 prospect by the time July gets here.

Brett Bateman might also surprise some by ending up on a list or two this summer (including mine).

I will be back tomorrow with some top storylines for May and Rich Biesterfeld will have a preview of the Complex League team in Mesa on Friday.