May Players of the Month: Mike Shawaryn and Michael Chavis

It was a May dominated by the Michaels, as right-handed pitcher Mike Shawaryn (pictured) and third baseman Michael Chavis earn recognition as the Pitcher and Player of the Month. Shawaryn struck out an outstanding 39 percent of batters he faced while postin a 0.97 WHIP. Chavis returned in late April from an elbow injury and went on to abuse Carolina League pitching with a 1.101 OPS.

Shawaryn, a fifth round pick in the 2016 draft, strick out 46 of the 118 batters he faced in May, while walking only six. He held opponents to a .213 batting average. He pitched into the sixth inning in all five of his starts, and the only outing in which he gave up more than two runs was the final one, when all three runners he bequeathed to the Greenville bullpen came around to score. Shawaryn's last start of the month was also his last with the Drive, as the 22-year-old righty was promoted to Salem to begin the month of June.

Haley Toyota Field is a notoriously tough park to hit home runs, but that didn't stop Chavis's power explosion. The Red Sox top pick in the 2014 draft blasted seven home runs, including five at home, on his way to a .368/.425/.675 slash line. The production came as Chavis was gradually transitioning back into the field after an elbow injury sidelined him for much of April. He served as the designated hitter in five of the first game in May, but he was in the field nearly every day by the end of the month, starting four of the Sox final five games at third base. Chavis's monster month also earned him recognition as the Carolina League Player of the Month.

Photo Credit: Mike Shawaryn by Kelly O'Connor

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