Astros announce Minor League Players of the Month
HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros player development department has named RHP Jose Fleury the Astros upper-level Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April and IF/OF Shay Whitcomb the Astros upper-level Minor League Player of the Month for April. The Astros also named RHP Bryce Mayer the Astros lower-level Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April and UT Jancel Villarroel the Astros lower-level Minor League Player of the Month for April.
Fleury, 23, went 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA (2ER/22.0IP) in April with Double A Corpus Christi. He also recorded 25 strikeouts, five walks, a 0.73 WHIP and a .149 opponent batting average in four starts during the month. Fleury was also named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 7-13. He made one start during that week, allowing one hit and two walks with nine strikeouts in six scoreless innings against San Antonio. In the Texas League, Fleury ranks first in WHIP, second in ERA, third in opponent batting average and tied for eighth in strikeouts. He was signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent on Dec. 6, 2021, from La Vega, Dominican Republic. Fleury is rated as the Astros number 17 overall prospect by MLB.com.
Whitcomb, 26, batted .243 (26x107) with 13 doubles, six home runs, 17 RBI, 13 walks and an .861 OPS in 28 games with Triple A Sugar Land. In the Pacific Coast League, Whitcomb ranks second in extra-base hits, tied for second in doubles, tied for fourth in home runs and fourth in total bases (57). He made his Major League debut with the Astros in 2024. Whitcomb was selected by the Astros in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB First-Year Player Draft from UC-San Diego.
Mayer, 23, recorded a 2.51 ERA (4ER/14.1IP) with 27 strikeouts, two walks, a 0.84 WHIP and a .192 opponent batting average in four appearances, including two starts with Single A Fayetteville. In the Carolina League, he ranks fourth in strikeouts and ninth in WHIP (min. 10 IP). Mayer is rated as the Astros number 29 overall prospect by MLB.com. He was selected by the Astros in the 16th round of the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft from the University of Missouri.
Villarroel, 20, batted .296 (24x81) with 12 runs, seven doubles, two triples, one home run, 11 walks, 10 stolen bases and an .854 OPS in 22 games with Single A Fayetteville. In the Carolina League, he ranks tied for second in extra-base hits, tied for third in doubles, tied for fifth in total bases (38) and eighth in hits. Villarroel is rated as the Astros number 28 overall prospect by MLB.com. He was signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent on Aug. 3, 2022, from Porlamar, Venezuela.