June Players of the Month: Johanfran Garcia and Yordanny Monegro

A pair of exciting players in the lower levels take home the award for June. Johanfran Garcia and Yordanny Monegro started their seasons in the FCL, which kicked off on June 5. Monegro already pitched his way to Salem, while Garcia is doing all he can to join him. 

Splitting time at catcher with Brooks Brannon, Garcia hit .344/.447/.578 over 64 at-bats. He had five doubles, two triples, and two home runs while driving in 14. Still only 18, Garcia is currently ranked 33rd in the system. The bat-first catcher also stole a base, though speed is not a part of his game.  While it is too early to get a read on his defense, Garcia's bat has lived up to expectations. Power is typically one of the last tools to develop for young players, but he is already showing above-average to better in-game pop.

Garcia received an $850,000 signing bonus out of Venezuela in 2022 and had a respectable .268/.366/.333 line last year in the Dominican Summer League. The bonus topped what the Red Sox gave his brother, Jhostynxon Garcia, in 2019. Jhostynxon is currently in Salem, and there is a chance the two brothers play together later this year. 

Monegro made his first three starts in the FCL, going five innings in each outing. He allowed two runs and struck out 20 over those 15 innings. He then got promoted to Salem, where he had an electric debut. He threw five shutout innings, allowing only two hits while striking out 11 without walking a batter. In total, across the two levels, he went 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA while holding batters to a .321 OPS. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was 31-to-four over the 20 innings. 

It was a breakout performance for the 20-year-old from Santo Domingo, as he was not in the system's top-60 list going into the month. He signed for $35,000 in February 2020 and held a 7.36 ERA in 25 2/3 innings in the FCL last season. Maybe the most important statistical development is the decrease in his walk rate. It has gone from 5.70 per nine innings in 2021 to 4.91 in 2022 and now sits at 1.80. This all comes while his strikeout rate has risen from around nine per nine innings to 14. 

Chris Clegg of thedynastydugout.com was in-person at Monegro's Salem debut. He reported his fastball sat around 95 and touched 97 with a good curveball while mixing in a changeup and a slider. Listed at 6-foot-4, Monegro is a pitcher to keep an eye on to see if he can continue to dominate as the season progresses. 

Photo Credit: Johanfran Garcia and Yordanny Monegro by Kelly O'Connor

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