photo: Adolis Garcia (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Welcome to July edition of The Cardinal Nation’s monthly awards, recognizing the top performers across the St. Louis Cardinals system each month. Today’s focus is the best offensive player during the prior month. The top pitching performance, by Peoria’s Alex Fagalde, was recognized on Friday.
It is a lot more fun writing about the offensive exploits across the organization this season compared to the past. Averages are skyrocketing, but the power displays are even more impressive.
My Cliff’s Notes version of July
Starting with the lowest level of the system, I have good things to say about 15 hitters. That means 14 honorable mentions, which has to be a new record here.
- Malcom Nunez – His first full month as a professional suggests the Cuban was a huge sign at $300,000.
- Jean Selmo – Looks like a very nice Rule 5 pick.
- Carlos Soler – The outfielder earned his promotion to the Gulf Coast League.
- Andrew Warner – A college outfielder should tear up the GCL, but what a find in the 40th round!
- Kevin Woodall – Another college slugger who hit his way up a level, to State College.
- Nolan Gorman – So far, the 18-year old has done all expected of him and more.
- Elehuris Montero and Yariel Gonzalez – Two big bashers in the Peoria lineup keep consistently producing.
- Luken Baker – Finding the going a bit tougher in the Midwest League early, but it will come.
- Dylan Carlson – Still the youngest player at Palm Beach at 19 and leads his club in RBI.
- Andy Young – Impressive power from the infielder who is off to a fast start at Springfield.
- Tommy Edman – Springfield’s leadoff hitter can be underestimated, but had a great month.
- Lane Thomas – How can you not admire the power and speed combination?
- Ramon Urias – Like Randy Arozarena, the infielder produces at Double-A, but less so at Triple-A.
- Adolis Garcia – These huge numbers don’t even include his two home runs and three RBI on August 1.
Normally I would go through stats and build the case for my selection, but this time, I am going to declare first and share the comparative details later in the article.
About the winner
Considering the breadth of results, including hits, power and run production, Memphis outfielder Adolis Garcia is The Cardinal Nation Player of the Month for July.
Garcia, 25, ended the month with a season-high 10-game hitting streak and has extended that in the first three days of August, including a two-homer and a two-double game.
During July, Garcia collected hits in 17 of his 25 outings, and notched multiple hits in 12 of those games. In the month, he scored 21 runs, hit eight doubles, a triple, and 10 home runs, while driving in 25 runners. Across the system, the right-handed hitter was first in slugging (.771) and home runs and tied for the lead in RBI.
“That was a fun month to watch,” said Memphis manager/third base coach Stubby Clapp. “A lot of hand-slapping coming around third base. I really enjoyed it.”
Between Springfield and Memphis last season, his first in America, Garcia hit 15 home runs and drove in 65 runners in 124 games. Through 95 games this season, he already has 21 home runs and 66 RBI.
It was a record-breaking month for the native of Cuba.
On Thursday, July 26, the outfielder became the seventh player in Memphis history, and the second in four games, to hit three home runs in a game. Tyler O’Neill blasted three on July 22, and the two have joined Chris Haas (8/3/99), Billy Selby (6/16/03), Rick Ankiel (6/16/07), Josh Phelps (7/29/08), and Jamie Romak (4/8/13) as the only Redbirds to accomplish the feat. Garcia is the first player to hit a grand slam in a three-home run performance in Memphis history.
On July 26, Garcia also tied the franchise record with eight RBI in a game. He joins Tagg Bozied (8/1/07) as the only Redbirds to do so. As a result of these feats, TCN’s no. 16 prospect was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for the period of July 23-29.
Congratulations to Adolis Garcia, The Cardinal Nation Player of the Month for July.
Into the numbers
Garcia tops the leaderboards for home runs and RBI, sharing the latter with Malcom Nuñez, a 2018 July 2nd signing to watch. Lane Thomas and Andy Young both earned promotions during the month. It is easy to see why.
Special kudos to Tyler O’Neill, who clubbed seven long balls in just 41 at-bats with Memphis.
| Player | Team | HR | Player | Team | RBI | |
| Adolis Garcia | Mem | 10 | Adolis Garcia | Mem | 25 | |
| Lane Thomas | Spr/Mem | 9 | Malcom Nunez | DSLB | 25 | |
| Andy Young | PB/Spr | 9 | Yariel Gonzalez | Peo | 22 | |
| Yariel Gonzalez | Peo | 7 | Lane Thomas | Spr/Mem | 22 | |
| Kevin Woodall | JC/SC | 7 | Andrew Warner | GCL | 20 | |
| Tyler O’Neill | Mem | 7 | Dylan Carlson | PB | 20 | |
| none | 6 | Kevin Woodall | JC/SC | 20 | ||
| Jean Selmo | DSLB | 19 | ||||
| Adanson Cruz | DSLR | 19 | ||||
| Elehuris Montero | Peo | 19 |
Ramon Urias needs to show he can hit at Triple-A as well as Double-A. Lane Thomas is a hustle player, which may be why he leads in three-base hits. Carlos Soler was dominating DSL hitters. He gets the month ahead to show in the GCL it wasn’t a fluke.
| Player | Team | Doubles | Player | Team | Triples | |
| Ramon Urias | Spr | 12 | Lane Thomas | Spr/Mem | 5 | |
| Elehuris Montero | Peo | 10 | Carlos Soler | DSLB/GCL | 3 | |
| Andrew Warner | GCL | 10 | Cristhian Longa | DSLR | 3 | |
| Tommy Edman | Spr | 9 | Adanson Cruz | DSLR | 3 | |
| Malcom Nunez | DSLB | 9 | Ramon Mendoza | DSLB | 3 | |
| Freddy De Jesus | DSLB | 9 | Malcom Nunez | DSLB | 2 | |
| Carlos Soler | DSLB | 9 | Stanley Espinal | SC | 2 | |
| Adolis Garcia | Mem | 8 | Luis Montano | DSLR | 2 | |
| J.R. Davis | Peo | 8 | Stefan Trosclair | PB | 2 | |
| Nolan Gorman | JC | 7 | Andy Young | PB/Spr | 2 | |
| Wadye Ynfante | SC | 7 | ||||
| Jean Selmo | DSLB | 7 | ||||
| Kramer Robertson | PB | 7 | ||||
| Adanson Cruz | DSLR/B | 7 | ||||
| Randy Arozarena | Spr/Mem | 7 |
More gaudy offensive numbers here even though the bar is set very high – at .600 SLG and 1.000 OPS. As one might expect, Garcia tops the slugging list, but Urias, Nunez and Andrew Warner are all close. The same four, in different sequence, top the OPS list, too.
| Player | Team | SLG | Player | Team | OPS | |
| Adolis Garcia | Mem | 0.771 | Malcom Nunez | DSLB | 1.201 | |
| Ramon Urias | Spr | 0.765 | Ramon Urias | Spr | 1.199 | |
| Andrew Warner | GCL | 0.720 | Adolis Garcia | Mem | 1.145 | |
| Malcom Nunez | DSLB | 0.711 | Andrew Warner | GCL/JC | 1.187 | |
| Kevin Woodall | JC/SC | 0.655 | Kevin Woodall | JC/SC | 1.071 | |
| Lane Thomas | Spr/Mem | 0.635 | Luke Voit | Mem | 1.057 | |
| Luke Voit | Mem | 0.632 | Nolan Gorman | JC | 1.030 | |
| Andy Young | PB/Spr | 0.627 | Adanson Cruz | DSLR | 1.028 | |
| Kevin Woodall | JC/SC | 0.622 | Jean Selmo | DSLB | 1.012 | |
| Yariel Gonzalez | Peo | 0.618 | Carlos Soler | DSLB/GCL | 1.012 | |
| Elehuris Montero | Peo | 0.609 | Elehuris Montero | Peo | 1.011 | |
| Nolan Gorman | JC | 0.600 |
81 players across the system had at least 50 at-bats during the month. A very impressive 16 of them batted .333 or better, eight hit over .350 and two finished over .400. Think about that!
It is nice to see Victor Garcia slip onto any list. It is has been a tough two years for the big July 2nd signing two years ago.
It looks like do-everything Tommy Edman has to also become the system’s best basestealer after the trade of Oscar Mercado to Cleveland.
| Player | Team | BA | Player | Team | SB | CS | Percent | |
| Malcom Nunez | DSLB | 0.410 | Oscar Mercado | Mem | 11 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Carlos Soler | DSLB/GCL | 0.400 | Tommy Edman | Spr | 8 | 1 | 88.9% | |
| Jean Selmo | DSLB | 0.376 | Joerlin De Los Santos | DSLR | 8 | 3 | 72.7% | |
| Andrew Warner | GCL | 0.373 | Franklin Soto | DSLR | 7 | 3 | 70.0% | |
| Luken Baker | GCL/Peo | 0.373 | Carlos Soler | DSLB/GCL | 5 | 3 | 62.5% | |
| Ramon Urias | Spr | 0.368 | Edwin Figuera | SC | 5 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Tommy Edman | Spr | 0.364 | Shane Billings | PB | 5 | 1 | 83.3% | |
| Adolis Garcia | Mem | 0.354 | Jonatan Machado | JC | 5 | 3 | 62.5% | |
| Adanson Cruz | DSLR/B | 0.341 | ||||||
| Ramon Mendoza | DSLB | 0.348 | ||||||
| Leandro Cedeno | JC | 0.347 | ||||||
| Carson Kelly | Mem | 0.343 | ||||||
| Nolan Gorman | JC | 0.338 | ||||||
| Elehuris Montero | Peo | 0.337 | ||||||
| Victor Garcia | GCL | 0.333 | ||||||
| Randy Arozarena | Spr/Mem | 0.333 |
Last month’s selection this month
The consensus June Player of the Month was Garcia’s teammate Rangel Ravelo, as selected by both the Cardinals organization and TCN.
Memphis’ first baseman cooled off considerably in July, with a slash line of .244/.314/.436/.750 compared to his 1.319 OPS in June. Ravelo dropped from six home runs and 23 RBI last month to three and seven this time.
With Luke Voit traded away, Ravelo should continue to play most days at first base for the Redbirds the rest of the way in 2018.
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