Two Diamondbacks prospects were named their respective leagues’ Player of the Month.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Pacific Coast League (AAA) Player of the Month – C Adrian Del Castillo
Adrian Del Castillo hit .359 with five home runs, 20 RBI, and a 1.053 OPS. He led the Pacific Coast League with 37 hits and 66 total bases. His .359/.412/.641 batting line for the month adds up to a 154 wRC+, or 54% more productive than the average PCL batter. His .359 average, 10 doubles, and .641 slugging percentage rank second, and his 1.053 OPS ranks fourth.
A former supplemental second rounder in 2021, Del Castillo’s bat has really improved over the past two seasons. He’s on the doorstep of the major leagues thanks to his hot start with Triple-A Reno. He has worked hard to improve his defense behind the plate the last couple of seasons, to improve his chances of sticking. As a left-handed bat with enough pop to punish mistakes and an enthusiasm for playing the position, Del Castillo profiles as the perfect complement to back up Gabriel Moreno at catcher.
Northwest League Pitcher (High-A) of the Month – RHP Joe Elbis
Joe Elbis was 2-0 with a 0.35 ERA in four starts. He pitched 25 2/3 innings with 23 strikeouts and only three walks while holding opposing hitters to a .185 average. This month included a 20 consecutive innings scoreless streak, from May 7 to May 28.
Elbis flashed as a projectable 18-year-old with good numbers in Class-A Visalia in 2021 but has struggled to stay healthy and develop the past two seasons. That development is finally coming in his Age 21 season with High-A Hillsboro. Only one of his nine starts in 2024 has he failed to pitch five innings, which was his second start of the season. In his last six starts, he’s gone at least five innings and allowed one run or fewer. Over that stretch, he’s 3-0 with a 0.87 ERA with a 33-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 38 1/3 innings.
Honorable Mentions
Yilber Diaz barely lost out on the Texas League Player of the Month to Arkansas’ Logan Evans. Diaz went 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA in five starts, with a 39-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 29 1/3 innings. In four of those five starts, he pitched at least six innings and eight strikeouts. The 6’0″ right-hander continues to show the ability to miss bats and his control has improved a lot. He still profiles as a back of the bullpen arm, but has the stuff to start if the control and command continue to improve.
Spencer Giesting would win the award in most months, but lost out to his teammate. He pitched 32 innings in five starts, with a 1.41 ERA and a 40-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The 6’4″ left-hander profiles as a bullpen arm with a solid fastball/slider combination, but with a sub-1.00 ERA on the season is looking to get promoted to the more challenging atmosphere of Amarillo.
Druw Jones hit .305/.408/.439 with six doubles, a triple, and a home run, as he’s starting to get more comfortable against pro pitching and making the necessary adjustments. He’s starting to turn on more baseballs, hitting line drives to his pull field and the strikeout rate has stabilized around 25% since April 17. Coming off an injury-plagued 2023 season, all signs are encouraging with Jones in 2024.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
