The Cubs named the organization’s Player and Pitcher of the Month for June: High-A Myrtle Beach outfielder Mark Zagunis and Triple-A Iowa right-handed pitcher Carlos Pimentel.
Mark Zagunis and Carlos Pimentel turned in excellent performances this past month. Mark Zagunis participated in the Carolina League-California League All Star Game and Carlos Pimentel pitched his way into a conversation for a spot in the Cubs’ rotation.
Mark Zagunis, 22, batted .326 (31-for-95) with 23 runs scored, six doubles, one triple, four home runs, 16 RBI and 14 walks compared to 13 strikeouts in 26 June games for Myrtle Beach. He recorded a .448 on-base percentage and a .538 slugging mark to contribute to a .986 OPS for the month. In nine games from June 10-19 he had six multi-hit games that included the first two-homer game of his career (June 10) and the first four-hit game of his career (June 19). Zagunis hit .439 (18-for-41) with four doubles, one triple, two home runs and 11 RBI while posting a 1.209 OPS.
The right-handed hitting Zagunis last month led the Carolina League in runs scored, tied for first in home runs, second in total bases (51) and OPS, third in OBP, tied for third in hits and walks, fourth in slugging, tied for fourth in RBI and tied for fifth in extra-base hits (11).
Zagunis was named a Carolina League mid-season All-Star and was tabbed as the league’s Player of the Week for June 15-21. This season he is batting .316 (79-for-250) with 50 runs scored, 15 doubles, four triples, five homers, 35 RBI and 52 walks (42 strikeouts) in 70 games for Myrtle Beach. He has a .449 on-base percentage and a .468 slugging percentage.
Selected by the Cubs in the third round of the 2014 Draft out of Virginia Tech, Zagunis owns a .303/.436/.446 slash line (140-for-462) with 31 doubles, seven triples, seven homers, 67 RBI and 94 walks compared to 84 strikeouts in 127 career minor league contests.
Carlos Pimentel, 25, was 4-1 with a 0.95 ERA (three earned runs in 28 1/3 innings) in five June starts for Iowa, as he held opponents to a .192 batting average (19-for-99), a .287 on-base percentage and a .212 slugging mark. He walked 14 batters, struck out 22, did not allow a home run and recorded four quality starts, including three outings of at least 6.0 shutout innings.
Pimentel’s 0.95 June ERA led all Pacific Coast League hurlers while his four June victories tied for the league lead. His .192 average against was fourth-lowest in the league. He is 6-4 with a 3.01 ERA and 1.29 WHIP (25 earned runs in 74 2/3 innings) in 15 games, all but one in a starting role, for Iowa this season. Pimentel has walked 38, struck out 70 and registered at least 6.0 innings in five of his last six starts.
Signed to a minor league deal by Chicago in November of 2013 following seven seasons in the Texas Rangers farm system, Pimentel is 51-52 with a 4.06 ERA (403 earned runs in 892 1/3 innings) and 1.37 WHIP, one complete game and three saves in 216 career minor league games (147 starts). He has walked 406 and struck out 813 batters, including a career-high 133 in 2013 with Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock.
Cubs 2015 Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month
• May – C Kyle Schwarber and RHP Ryan Williams
• April – 1B Dan Vogelbach and RHP Jeremy Null