The St. Louis Cardinals announced today their selections for Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for June, with first baseman/outfielder Rangel Ravelo (Memphis-AAA) and right-handed pitcher Dakota Hudson (Memphis-AAA) taking the honors.
Hudson, the Cardinals supplemental 1st round selection in the 2016 amateur draft out of Mississippi State University, was a perfect 5-0 for the month of June with a 1.06 ERA, allowing just four runs in his 34.0 innings pitched. The 23-year-old Hudson was named last week to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team and he’s been tabbed as the starter for the PCL in their July 11 Triple-A All-Star Game meeting against the International League.
Hudson is pacing the PCL, and all of minor league baseball, with his 11 wins this season and he’s currently 2nd in league ERA at 2.10. The 6-5, 215-pound Tennessee native has allowed just one home run in his 94.1 innings pitched this season. In addition to winning each of his five June starts, Hudson has won eight of his last nine decisions and he’s allowed two runs or less in 12 of his 15 games started in 2018.
“In his five decisions in June, Dakota was in command for 34 innings, giving up only four earned runs. He had a very impressive month,” stated Cardinals Director of Player Development Gary LaRocque.
Ravelo, 26, fashioned a .463 batting mark (31-for-69) in his 20 June games and pounded six home runs with 23 RBI, while striking out just four times in 83 plate appearances.
Signed by the Cardinals as a minor league free-agent in April of 2017, Rangel (pronounced RAHN-hel) is batting a team-best .313 this season with 9 HR’s and 42 RBI in 60 games. The right-handed hitting native of Havana, Cuba has appeared in 32 games at first base and 25 in the outfield this season, committing just one error.
“Rangel delivered a productive offensive month, helping Memphis defensively as well with his versatility in left field and at first base,” said LaRocque.
