September 3, 2018 at 2:30 PM
August Players of the Month: Michael Chavis and Jhonathan Diaz
The minor league season comes to a close on Monday for a non-playoff bound Sox farm system. But baseball won't be stopping anytime soon for one of the Players of the Month for August in Michael Chavis.
The top-ranked SoxProspects.com prospect is heading to the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost time, and lost at-bats, following an 80-game suspension to start the year. Chavis (pictured, left) would do well if he continued his torrid pace at the plate from August and kept it going out in the desert.
Joining Chavis as Player of the Month is Jhonathan Diaz after the left-hander started August with two losses before finishing off the month with three wins in four starts, allowing just two earned runs in that time frame.
Diaz's pick as Pitcher of the Month snaps a three-month string of selections for Denyi Reyes.
Diaz's pick as Pitcher of the Month snaps a three-month string of selections for Denyi Reyes.
Chavis went 2 for 3 with a home run in Portland's 9-1 win over Erie during his first game of August. That performance was a precursor for what was about to come.
The right-handed, hard-swinging slugger collected 39 hits across 101 at-bats last month for a .386 average. He homered six times, twice in a 10-9 victory over Erie on Aug. 9, and then in back-to-back games with Pawtucket on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25 following a promotion to the Triple-A club on the former date.
The 2014 first-round selection's six homers were tied for first among Sox prospects with whom other than Pawtucket's Josh Ockimey and Portland's Bobby Dalbec. Now Chavis, along with Darwinzon Hernandez, Teddy Stankiewicz, Josh Taylor, Ockimey and Dalbec, will suit up for the Mesa Solar Sox out in Arizona.
The right-handed, hard-swinging slugger collected 39 hits across 101 at-bats last month for a .386 average. He homered six times, twice in a 10-9 victory over Erie on Aug. 9, and then in back-to-back games with Pawtucket on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25 following a promotion to the Triple-A club on the former date.
The 2014 first-round selection's six homers were tied for first among Sox prospects with whom other than Pawtucket's Josh Ockimey and Portland's Bobby Dalbec. Now Chavis, along with Darwinzon Hernandez, Teddy Stankiewicz, Josh Taylor, Ockimey and Dalbec, will suit up for the Mesa Solar Sox out in Arizona.
A few pegs down the farm system, the 28th ranked SoxProspects.com prospect in Diaz (pictured, right) dazzled after a slow start to the month.
After a loss to Asheville on the first day of the month, the 21-year-old had his worst start of the season in a loss to Columbia on Aug. 7. Diaz gave up eight hits and five runs across 4 1/3 innings. Luckily for Greenville, and Diaz, he turned it around in his next four starts, reeling off three straight wins before pitching perhaps his second-best game of the year on Aug. 28 against Rome.
Despite not getting the win, Diaz allowing just four hits and one run over eight innings of work, striking out four in the Drive's late-inning loss to the Braves. The lefty finished the month with 38 1/3 innings pitched, with an 1.88 ERA and 3-2 record. Diaz struck out 34 and walked just nine in six games pitched. The performance nearly guarantees a move up the rankings for the youngster from Venezuela.
After a loss to Asheville on the first day of the month, the 21-year-old had his worst start of the season in a loss to Columbia on Aug. 7. Diaz gave up eight hits and five runs across 4 1/3 innings. Luckily for Greenville, and Diaz, he turned it around in his next four starts, reeling off three straight wins before pitching perhaps his second-best game of the year on Aug. 28 against Rome.
Despite not getting the win, Diaz allowing just four hits and one run over eight innings of work, striking out four in the Drive's late-inning loss to the Braves. The lefty finished the month with 38 1/3 innings pitched, with an 1.88 ERA and 3-2 record. Diaz struck out 34 and walked just nine in six games pitched. The performance nearly guarantees a move up the rankings for the youngster from Venezuela.
Photo Credit: Michael Chavis & Jhonathan Diaz by Kelly O'Connor
Tommy Cassell is a Contributing Editor for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tommycassell44.