Vote for the BCB Minor League Player of the Month for August

It’s time once again to vote for the BCB Minor League Player of the Month for August. We’ve done this all season long, so I’m not going to go over all the rules again. Just remember to vote for one player and base your vote on what the player did in the month of August.

I’ll have a vote for the Minor League Pitcher of the Month early Sunday and next week we’ll vote on the prestigious Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year.

Clicking on the player’s name takes you to their milb.com page. I’ll leave the voting open until Monday and I’ll announce the winners on the last day of the season in the Minor League Wrap, along with the pitchers.

The candidates are:

Iowa Cubs outfielder Bijan Rademacher: This is Rademacher’s sixth season in the Cubs organization and every year he just moves up one level. Rademacher had a poor first half of the season and struggled to get playing time in Triple-A, but he’s been terrific since June 1, with the exception of trip to the disabled list in July.

In August, Rademacher hit .368/.413/.544 with three home runs and ten RBI in 68 at-bats. The left-handed hitting Rademacher typically sits against left-handed pitching, which has limited his playing time this year. But nevertheless, Rademacher was the best hitter on the I-Cubs in August and he has a solid arm for right field as well.

Tennessee Smokies second baseman David Bote: Bote hasn’t hit for the same .300 average this season like he did last year, but he’s more than made up for that drop in average with a power spike. He has a career-high 14 home runs this year, which is twice his previous-high of seven. Bote also got a nice honor this month as in Baseball America’s “Best Tools” article, Bote was named the best defensive second baseman in the Southern League, as voted on by the managers and coaches.

In August, Bote hit .273/.316/.534 with nine doubles, one triple and four home runs. Bote scored 14 times in 21 games and drove in 15.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans shortstop Zack Short: In that same “Best Tools” series, managers and coaches in the Midwest League voted Short as having the “Best Strike Zone Judgement,” which was a big reason Short was promoted from South Bend to Myrtle Beach in June.

Short has had a breakout season in his second year in professional ball, as he’s become more aggressive while still being able to lay off bad pitches and draw a walk. He has 13 home runs this season after hitting only one all of last year. In August, Short hit .272/.389/.466 with four home runs and two steals. He scored 16 runs and had 13 RBI in 29 games, which is a good RBI total for a leadoff hitter, even in a DH league.

South Bend Cubs outfielder D.J. Wilson: Wilson has been known for two things over his three seasons in the Cubs system. One is making highlight-reel catches in center field and the other is getting off to slow starts and then finishing the season strong. Once again, Wilson is making highlight-reel catches and finishing the season strong.

In August, Wilson hit .253/.333/.475 with two home runs and six steals in 99 at-bats. Wilson scored 19 runs and drove in 15 and was a key force behind South Bend’s big drive for a playoff spot this year.

Eugene Emeralds third baseman Austin Filiere: When Filiere was drafted this summer in the 8th round out of MIT, sportswriting legend Peter Gammons immediately declared that Filiere had a major league future—in a major league front office. The management science/management analytics major will go back to school this fall to finish his degree and his combination of baseball experience and analytical background makes him the perfect candidate that major league teams are looking for in front office hires. He’s not just gunning for Kris Bryant’s job, he’s coming for Jed Hoyer’s.

But the front office is going to have to wait because Filiere has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2017 draft. Filiere hit .275/.405/.484 with seven doubles and four home runs in 91 at-bats. As you might imagine from his background, Filiere knows the value of home runs and walks. He scored 11 times and had 14 RBi in 25 games for Eugene.