August Players of the Month: Manuel Margot and Brian Johnson

Two of the system's top prospects saved their best for the last full month of the season, as Manuel Margot (pictured, left) and Brian Johnson (pictured, bottom right) ran away with the SoxProspects.com Player of the Month and Pitcher of the Month awards, respectively, for the month of August.  

Margot has been on our radar since we first got eyes on him back in 2012 at Fall Instructs, and while he has produced all year, he took his game to another level in August. He hit .396/.432/.634 in 101 at-bats last month, slugging 14 extra-base hits, including four home runs, and he stole 10 bases. He was promoted from Greenville to Salem on August 15, and did not miss a beat when he joined his new team. The 19-year-old has become the best outfield prospect the Red Sox have in the minor leagues, showing a combination of tools and production that are almost unmatched in the system. 

In four August starts, Johnson was nearly unhittable, as he held opponents to a .116 batting average, with an OPS against of .365. He walked only four and struck out 21 in 26 innings, and his WHIP was 0.54. The 23-year-old left-hander will lead a strong Portland pitching staff into the playoffs, where he will look to put an exclamation point on his outstanding season. Johnson's advanced four-pitch arsenal has proved to be too much for the Eastern League to handle, and he will look to get the same results next year in Pawtucket. 

Photo Credit: Manuel Margot and Brian Johnson by Kelly O'Connor

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