June Players of the Month: Franklin Primera and Gage Ziehl

The third full month of the minor league season is complete. With summer upon us, it is time to present the SoxProspects.com Players of the Month for June to catcher Franklin Primera (pictured, left) and right-hander Gage Ziehl (pictured, bottom right). Both prospects are currently ranked in the organization's top 40 at Nos. 13 and 39, respectively.

Primera is a SoxProspects.com Player of the Month honoree for the first time after a scorching stretch in the Florida Complex League that culminated in a promotion to Salem on June 30. In 17 games between the two levels, the right-handed hitting 19-year-old batted .441/.542/.814 with four doubles, six home runs, 23 RBIs, 21 runs scored, three stolen bases, nine walks, and seven strikeouts over 73 plate appearances. He recorded the first multi-homer game of his professional career on June 19 and compiled an 18-game hitting streak before it was snapped on June 25.

For the season, his first in the United States, Primera is slashing .400/.525/.673 with six doubles, eight home runs, 29 RBIs, 31 runs scored, four stolen bases, 23 walks, and 14 strikeouts through 34 games (142 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem. Defensively, the 2024 international signee out of Venezuela has made 24 starts behind the plate, throwing out 17 of 104 would-be base stealers. He has also made eight starts at first base and two starts at designated hitter.

Ziehl, who was acquired in a February trade with the White Sox, is a first-time SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Month honoree. The 23-year-old righty impressed in four June starts for Portland, posting a 1.66 ERA with 23 strikeouts to three walks over 21 1/3 innings while holding opponents to a .192 batting average. On June 19, he punched out seven consecutive batters as part of a career-high nine-strikeout outing, finishing one shy of the Sea Dogs franchise record of eight consecutive strikeouts, set by Clay Buchholz in 2007.

Overall, Ziehl -- a former 2024 fourth-round draft pick of the Yankees out of Miami -- has pitched to a 3.94 ERA with 72 strikeouts to just 12 walks through 13 starts (64 innings) for Portland this season. Opponents are batting .273 against him, while his 4.4% walk rate is among the best in the organization. The 6-foot, 223-pound hurler features a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, an 88-91 mph cutter, an 83-87 mph sweeper, a 79-82 mph curveball, and an 86-88 mph changeup.

Photo Credit: Franklin Primera and Gage Ziehl by Kelly O'Connor

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