Mitch Nay has won the Southern League Player of the Month award for June. The Chattanooga Lookouts infielder, who spent most of the month playing first base, hit .356/.398/.587 on the month. That came along with six doubles and six home runs to go along with eight walks and just 14 strikeouts in 27 games played and 113 plate appearances.
During the month he finished in the top five in average, slugging percentage, OPS, hits, runs, total bases, and RBI. It was his second straight bit time month for the Lookouts. In May he hit .297/.354/.645 in 28 games and 82 plate appearances. He’s been on an absolute tear for the majority of the season, and currently leads the Southern League in OPS with a .912 mark – and he’s the only qualified hitter over the .900 mark.
It might be time to see what the 25-year-old can do in Triple-A. He’s a free agent after the season unless he’s added to the 40-man roster. And at his age, even though he’s lost a lot of developmental time after a staph infection and three knee surgeries led to him missing the better part of two seasons, Triple-A is where you’ll get a bit better of an idea of what you’ve got. And with Nay just beating up on Double-A pitching and half of a season remaining there’s not much time left to make a decision.
Taylor Trammell homers on Tuesday
It’s been a down season for Taylor Trammell in 2019. Most of that is due to the lack of power he’s shown in the Southern League. Through 71 games he’s only had five doubles, two triples, and five home runs. He’s slugging just .349 on the season – which has also made his average very reliant on his batting average on balls in play. He’s hitting just .247 in Double-A, though he’s walked 46 times and that’s helped keep his on-base percentage high with a .368 mark. Last night he homered for the first time since late May while playing in Jacksonville. It also marked his first home run off of a right-handed pitcher on the season.
Matt Lloyd homers for the 3rd straight game
The Cincinnati Reds selected pitcher/outfielder Matt Lloyd out of Indiana University in the 15th round of the 2019 draft. He signed quickly, but as a Canadian he had to wait around to begin play as he required a work visa. Once everything went through, the Reds sent Lloyd to join the Billings Mustangs in late June. He made his debut on the 27th at home against Missoula, where he started at first base and went 1-4. He started the next two days and homered in each game. Then he got an off day, and the Mustangs also had a day off, he was back in the lineup last night against Great Falls, and for the third straight game, he homered. Four games, three homers, a .941 slugging percentage…. that works.