June Players of the Month: Anderson Espinoza and Sam Travis

The SoxProspects.com community has voted Anderson Espinoza and Sam Travis (pictured) as the Pitcher and Player of the Month for June.

Espinoza earns his first SoxProspects.com award after decimating Dominican Summer League competition and earning a promotion to the GCL Red Sox on June 23, just three weeks after his minor league debut. In 15 innings with the DSL Red Sox across four appearances, the 17-year-old Venezuelan was nothing short of dominant, posting a 1.20 ERA while striking out 21 batters against just three walks. Espinoza also allowed only six runs, two of them earned, and posted a 1.07 WHIP. In two June appearances in the Gulf Coast League – where Espinoza is the youngest pitcher in the league – the right-hander threw eight innings and didn't allow a run, while also posting six more punchouts against two walks and six hits.

Espinoza's efforts were rewarded with a big jump up the SoxProspects.com ranking, where he now sits at No. 11, one spot ahead of 2014 first-round pick and left-hander Trey Ball. He began the season at No. 30 in the April ranking. Signed for a whopping $1.8-million bonus as an International free agent last summer, Espinoza has lived up to the hype that was heaped upon him after becoming the most expensive Venezuelan amateur in Major League Baseball history. Executive Editor Chris Hatfield and Director of Scouting Ian Cundall took a more in-depth look at Espinoza's progress on Episode 79 of the SoxProspects.com Podcast.

Travis, the Red Sox' 2014 second-round selection, also played his way into a promotion in the month of June, jumping from High-A Salem to Double-A Portland on June 25. After going 9 for 52 to begin the season, the 21-year-old first baseman was one of Salem's most consistent offensive threats, posting a .313/.378/.467 slash line along with 15 doubles, five home runs and 40 RBI. His offensive exploits earned him a trip to the Carolina League All-Star game, where he had two hits. The Indiana University product struggled with the adjustment to the Double-A level at first, going 2 for 20 in six games with the Sea Dogs last month. But Travis has picked things up after a bumpy start, and is enjoying a solid month of July at the plate thus far.

Photo Credit: Sam Travis by Kelly O'Connor

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