Twins
- Hitter of the Month: Justin Mourneau- Justin had a very good April hitting a very solid .318 with 6 homeruns and 18 rbi's. He is right on pace with his career averages. What makes it more impressive is he did this without the protection of Joe Mauer hitting ahead of him and having to move up in the lineup to 3rd instead of his customary 4th. It looks like this is the beginning of another MVP caliber season for Mourneau with a stat line like this. .318 average, .365 obp, and a robust .922 ops for the month.
- Runnerups: Denard Span, Jason Kubel, Jose Morales.
- Pitcher of the Month: Glen Perkins- Glen Perkins had an outstanding month for the Twins. He only had only 1 win in the month, that had alot to do with the limited run support he received. A better sign of his success was his 3 straight 8 inning performances to start the season. Also his 2.48 April ERA was phenomenal. I really think this is the breakout year that we have been waiting for with Perkins.
- Runnerup: Joe Nathan
Rochester
- Hitter of the Month: Luke Hughes- For a team that really did not hit up to their capabilities Hughes held the team together. His batting average was not great at .255, but he mashed the ball. He had 3 homeruns and drove in 14 runs. He had a .344 obp which is solid and a very robust .853 OPS. He is getting better in May so it would not surprise me at all if he repeats. The only question mark is his glove as he committed 5 errors in April which is too much, but I think those totals will come down if they stick him at 3rd and keep him there and not move him around.
- Runner-up: Dustin Martin
- Pitcher of the Month: Anthony Swarzak: He was the most dominant pitcher on the Red Wings going 0-3 with a 1.59 era. He looks to be turning the corner into being the prospect we all knew he could be. In 17 innings he allowed only 4 runs on 13 hits. He only walked 2 batters with 11 strikeouts. He seems to be getter better from start to start and if the Twins need a starter this season my vote would be on Swarzak getting the call for the Twins.
- Runner Up: Sean Henn
Thats all for today I will be bringing you the New Britain, Fort Myers and Beloit awards tommorrow so talk to you then