WEYMOUTH, Mass. – The month of July was undoubtedly a thrilling one. With many high-scoring games and dominating pitching performances, July had a mix of everything. One of the best parts of the month was the amount of games with more of a playoff feel as we get closer to the postseason. Multiple teams have been just a couple games away from the league lead and these late July games had lots of playoff implications. Throughout this month there have been guys that have separated themselves from the rest of the pack and shined individually. These players make up our July Team of the Month for the 2019 Futures League season presented by On Deck Sports.
Starting Pitcher, Angelo Baez, Worcester (Pitcher of the Month)
3-0 | 1.40 ERA | 25.2 IP | 19 H | 4 ER | 11 BB | 32 K | .207 BAA
Angelo Baez of the Worcester Bravehearts becomes the second Worcester pitcher in a row to make the Team of the Month as a starting pitcher after teammate Shawn Babineau was selected to the June Team of the Month. Baez has been virtually unhittable this month posting a 1.40 ERA in four starts and six appearances. This ERA was the best in the league during July by a longshot. He also led the league with 32 strikeouts in July in just 25.2 innings pitched. His dominant month on the mound made him the clear choice.
Relief Pitcher, Scott Creedon, Brockton
7 Appearances | 3.27 ERA | 1-0 | 22 IP | 24 H | 8 ER | 5 BB | 16 K | .279 BAA
Brockton’s Scott Creedon had a great July as a reliever. He has proved to be one of the go-to guys for the Rox as they make their late playoff push. He is definitely one of the reasons they are near the top of the standings at this point in the season. He makes it extremely difficult to score on him as he posted a 1-0 record and only let up 10 runs in 22 innings pitched. They will definitely be looking at him a lot come playoff time.
C, Ben Rice, Worcester
30 for 60 | .500 BA | 6 2B | 0 3B | 5 HR | 14 R | 21 RBI
Worcester’s Ben Rice has always been a great player and burst onto the scene in July. He posted an amazing .500 batting average which is first in the league for July by a longshot as second is .395. He ranks 4thin hits for the month with 30 and tied for 1stin home runs for the month with 5. On top of those amazing statistics, he ranks 2ndin RBIs with 21. Rice can clearly hit for average but mixes in power as well, making him one of the best overall hitters in the league, especially in July. If he continues playing this way, he will be one of the most dangerous weapons of the postseason.
1B, Thomas Joyce, Westfield
22 for 58 | .379 BA | 8 2B | 2 HR | 14 R | 17 RBI
Thomas Joyce has been consistently one of the best players in the league this year statistically. His .370 batting average is the best in the league and has shined in the Westfield Starfires’ lineup. He is also tied for 5thin the league in hits with 50. This month, Joyce’s .379 batting average is ranked 5thin the league. His best performance this month came on July 23rdas he went 2 for 3 with a double, a run scored, and three RBIs. As Westfield will unfortunately miss out on the postseason, Thomas Joyce’s season and month have been remarkable to say the least.
2B, Buddy Dewaine, Bristol
27 for 86 | .314 BA | 4 2B | 2 3B | 16 R | 12 RBI
Bristol’s Buddy Dewaine has been a vital part of the Blues’ lineup all season long, but July has been Dewaine’s month. He ranks tied for 11thin batting average for July with .314 and tied for 6thin hits with 27. He has emerged as one of the top players in not only the Bristol lineup, but the entire league. His ability to hit for average and power has made him a huge part of this Blues team that want to make a deep run at the championship in August.
3B, B.J. Murray, Brockton
23 for 70 | .329 BA | 8 2B | 2 HR | 17 R | 15 RBI
B.J. Murray has had an amazing July as he is tied for 10thin the league in batting average for the month with a .329 BA. He is a very solid part of a powerful Brockton lineup and has made a name for himself in the recent weeks. His ability to get on base and hit for average has proved to be extremely helpful for the Rox’s push for the playoffs and the #1 seed. He is definitely someone to keep your eyes on in this league throughout the final days of the season and the playoffs.
SS, Zeke Diamond, Bristol
27 for 82 | .329 BA | 3 2B | 1 3B | 1 HR | 11 R | 17 RBI
Zeke Diamond has been a great player both offensively and defensively as he has proved to be one of the best all-around players in the Futures League. The Bristol Blues shortstop went 27 for 82 with a .329 batting average for the month which is tied for 10thin the league for the month. He is also tied for 8thin hits with 27 and tied for 5thin RBIs with 17. He has proven to be one of the best offensive shortstops and players in the league and has been a vital part of the Bristol lineup which hopes to make a deep run in the playoffs.
OF, Kade Kretzschmar, North Shore
34 for 86 | .395 BA | 5 2B | 2 3B | 3 HR | 21 R | 17 RBI
Kade Kretzschmar has been consistently at the top of the ranks in terms of offense for a long time now and July was no different. In July, Kretzschmar posted a .395 batting average that ranks 2ndin the league and is tied for 1stin hits for the month with 34. Kretzschmar has really emerged as one of the top offensive weapons in the league. He can hit for both average and power with his 5 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs this month. His .349 batting average for the year ranks 3rdin the league. His offensive consistency has been one of the keys to the Navigators success this season and he will continue to be a huge weapon for them in the postseason.
OF, Sean Lawlor, North Shore (Player of the Month)
34 for 90 | .378 BA | 9 2B | 3 3B | 4 HR | 25 R | 23 RBI
Sean Lawlor has been a phenomenal player this season for the North Shore Navigators. He plays a great outfield as well as staying at the top of the league in multiple offensive categories. This month, his .378 batting average ranks 6thin the league. He is tied for 1stin the league in hits this month with 34 and also has the most RBIs in July with 23. Lawlor is tied for 3rdin runs scored with 25 and in 3rdfor both doubles (9) and triples (3) for the month. There is not doubt that Sean Lawlor is one of the best players in the league as he has proven it time and time again with his numbers. For the year, he has the most hits (62) and is in the top 3 for runs scored (42), doubles (15), and RBIs (38), proving to be one of the best overall hitters in the league.
OF, John Thrasher, Worcester
28 for 72 | .389 BA | 4 2B | 2 3B | 2 HR | 18 R | 9 RBI
John Thrasher from the Worcester Bravehearts has really emerged this month as a prominent hitter in this league. In July he hit .389 which ranks 3rdin the league for the month. He ranks 6thin hits with 28 and is in an eight way tie for 2ndin doubles with 2. His ability to get on base and hit for average is extremely valuable for a Worcester team that wants to make a championship run. He is one of the offensive leader for the Bravehearts and they will be looking for him to stay hot for the upcoming postseason.
DH, Mark Coley, Pittsfield
24 for 70 | .343 BA | 8 2B | 1 3B | 2 HR | 20 R | 12 RBI
Mark Coley has been one of the best hitters in the league for a long time now and he proved it even further in July. His .343 batting average for the month ranks 9thin the league and is tied for 3rdin the league in doubles with 8 in July. He also scored 20 runs this month which is tied for 5thin the league. He is consistently getting on base with the 7thbest on-base percentage for the month of July with .459 and scoring runs for a Pittsfield team that usually relies on its home runs as the team leads the league in home runs. He has proved to be critical for the Pittsfield Suns offense and if he continues playing this way, it gives the Suns a great chance heading into the playoffs.
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