DURHAM, NC – The American Association announced today that El Paso Diablos SS Maikol Gonzalez (pictured) has been named the Rawlings Hitter of the Month for August. The selection was made by Pointstreak, the official statistician of the American Association.
It might not be a stretch to say that Gonzalez was voted the American Association’s top shortstop based largely on his performance in August. The Diablos’ shortstop had his best month of the season with a .482 average and 22 RBI. That high batting average gave Gonzalez plenty of opportunities to steal and the shortstop took advantage. He swiped 12 bags in August, giving him a league-high 47 by season’s end.
Gonzalez did not always have to steal his extra bases. The Rawlings Hitter of the Month drilled seven triples in August. That gave Gonzalez the third most in the league at the end of the season with nine. He also hit nine doubles in the last full month of the season and slugged .684. And when Gonzalez moved into scoring position, whether with an extra-base hit or a steal, he had very little trouble finding home. The speedster scored 35 runs in 29 games, finishing the season with the second-highest runs total in the league with 85.
No one game stands out as Gonzalez’s best in August, but that is only because he was remarkably consistent. The leadoff batter hit safely in 26 of 29 games in August and reached base safely in 27 contests for an OBP of .569. Gonzalez ended the month on a 17-game hit streak that included 12 multi-hit performances, one of which was a 5-for-5 day with two doubles.
Rawlings is the official baseball of the American Association. They are located in St. Louis, MO and are the official helmet of Major League Baseball and the exclusive supplier of baseballs to Major League Baseball since 1977. For more information about Rawlings go to: http://www.rawlings.com.
Photo courtesy of the El Paso Diablos
