ALL-STAR OUTFIELDER LEADS FSL IN EXTRA-BASE HITS AND TOTAL BASES; MAYERS RECORDS THIRD-LOWEST ERA (0.72) IN MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, MAKES 2017 CARDINALS DEBUT
ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 6, 2017 – The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that Springfield (AA) outfielder Randy Arozarena (pronounced Ahh-ro-sa-rena) and Memphis (AAA) starting pitcher Mike Mayers (pronounced MY-ers) have been honored as the Cardinals Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for June for their accomplishments on the field.
Arozarena, 22, signed a minor league contract with the Cardinals in late July 2016 out of La Habana, Cuba. The 5-foot-11, 170 lb. leftfielder batted .295 (23-for-78) with four home runs, 16 RBI and six stolen bases in 21 games with the Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A) last month. He paced the Florida State League in extra-base hits (14), total bases (46), ranked T1st in doubles (9), 4th in RBI and in slugging (.590), and 7th in OPS (.963). The right-handed hitting Arozarena hit safely in 17 games, including 10 in a row that was part of a season-best 12-game hit-streak.
His four June homers came over a five-game stretch that culminated with a grand slam on June 11 and the FSL Player of the Week honors for the June 5-11 period.
Overall this season, Arozarena is hitting .272 (74-for-272) with eight home runs, 40 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 72 games between Palm Beach and Springfield (AA). His 33 extra-base hits rank 2nd in the Florida State League, while his 22 doubles rank 5th in the circuit and trail only Luke Voit’s organizational-leading 23.
Arozarena, who was recently promoted to Springfield, started in right field for the South Division at the 2017 Florida State League Mid-Season All-Star Game. Earlier in the night, the outfielder won the rain-shortened Home Run Derby at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla.
“Randy helped lead Palm Beach in winning the first half of the Florida State League South Division before his promotion to Springfield,” said Cardinals Director of Player Development, Gary LaRocque.
Mayers, 25, the Cardinals 3rd round pick (93rd overall) in the June, 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Mississippi, went 2-1 with a 0.72 ERA and limited the opposition to one earned run or fewer in four June starts (25.0 IP).
His 0.72 ERA led all triple-A pitchers and was the 3rd-lowest mark in the minor leagues. His 0.88 WHIP ranked 3rd in the Pacific Coast League while his .194 average against was 4th.
Mayers began the month by tying his career-high with 10 strikeouts over 7.0 innings in a June 3 winning start vs. Omaha. His other victory came in his final start of the month before being promoted to St. Louis, scattering a pair of hits over 7.0 shutout frames on June 20 at Round Rock.
“Michael started four games in Memphis with three quality starts, working 25.0 innings, striking out 29 hitters with only four walks,” said LaRocque.
Mayers, who recently appeared in two games with the Cardinals, currently ranks 6th in the Pacific Coast League in ERA. He leads Memphis in starts (14), innings pitched (77.0) and strikeouts (68), which are the 4th-most among Cardinals minor leaguers.
The minor league honors are the first for both players.
