Texas Rangers Name June Minor League Players of Month

Abimelec Ortiz, Josh Stephan, Alex Speas and Geisel Cepeda claimed the Texas Rangers' top minor league awards for June.

Ashley Salinas, Hickory Crawdads

The Texas Rangers announced the organization’s minor league award winners for June, which three currently playing for the High-A Hickory Crawdads.

Minor League Players of the Month

Four members of the minor league system claimed awards for June. <br>

Player of the Month

1B Abimelec Ortiz

Ortiz, 21, slashed .374/.442/.723/1.165 (31-83) with 8 home runs and 22 RBI across 22 games with Hickory (A+) last month, earning South Atlantic League Player of the Month honors for June. The Puerto Rico native led the circuit in batting average, home runs, RBI, total bases (60), runs (19), and hits (tied) last month, and his OPS figure ranked third among league qualifiers. He finished June with a 14-game hitting streak, and hit 5 home runs over his last 7 games in the month. In 62 games between Down East (A) and Hickory this season, Ortiz has slashed .330/.403/.679/1.082 (74-224) with 19 home runs, 4 triples, 13 doubles, and 59 RBI. He ranks among all affiliated minor league batters (min. 200 PA) in both slugging pct. (2nd) and OPS (3rd), and his 19 home runs lead all Texas farmhands.

Starting Pitcher of the Month

RHP Josh Stephan

The 21-year-old Stephan went 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA (6 ER/25.0 IP) and 32 strikeouts across 5 games/starts for Hickory in June, holding opponents to a .195/.247/.356/.604 (17-87) slash line. He went undefeated (3-0) across his final 3 starts in the month, posting double-digit strikeouts on both June 14 vs. Bowling Green (W, 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R-ER, 0 BB, 11 SO) and June 28 vs. Greensboro (W, 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 SO). A Dallas-Fort Worth area native and graduate of South Grand Prairie High School, Stephan was recently promoted to Frisco (AA) and made his Double-A debut in a start on July 4 vs. Midland (ND, 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R-ER, 1 BB, 5 SO). Overall, he is 6-3, 2.30 ERA (17 ER/66.2 IP) in 13 appearances/12 starts between Hickory and Frisco this season, ranking among Rangers minor leaguers in wins (T2nd) and strikeouts (3rd, 78).

Reliever of the Month

RHP Alex Speas

Speas, 25, has now earned back-to-back Texas Minor League Reliever of the Month awards (also May) after he was scoreless in 14.0 innings across 9 relief outings in June with Frisco and Round Rock (AAA). He held opponents to a .149 (7-47) batting average and fanned 22 of 51 (43.1%) batters faced last month, recording multiple punch outs in each of his last 5 outings. The Powder Springs, Ga. native has combined to go 3-0 with 2 saves and a 1.06 ERA (4 ER/34.0 IP) over 27 relief outings this season across the Double-A and Triple-A levels, ranking among affiliated minor league hurlers (min. 30.0 IP) in ERA (4th) and strikeout pct. (10th, 40.9%).

Defender of the Month

OF Geisel Cepeda

The 25-year-old Cepeda has yet to commit an error this season over 40 games/starts in left field for Hickory. His totals in the outfield for 2023: 353.0 innings, 82 total chances, 79 putouts, 3 assists, one double play, zero errors. Over 17 games in June, Cepeda had no errors across 30 total chances (29 putouts, one assist). The Cuba native was signed by Texas as a minor league free agent on Jan. 15, 2023.

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