Casteel Anderson named Farm Bureau Player and Pitcher of the Week
PEARL, MS - Mississippi Braves first baseman Ryan Casteel and right-handed pitcher Ian Anderson have been named Farm Bureau Player and Pitcher of the Week. The awards were given for their performances for the M-Braves from June 20-30.
PEARL, MS - Mississippi Braves first baseman
Anderson, 21 the No. 3 overall prospect for the Atlanta Braves according to MLB Pipeline takes home the award for the third straight week to start off the second-half. The Rexford, New York native, went 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA over two starts last week, allowing five earned runs over 12.0 innings. Anderson led all of the Southern League in strikeouts last week with 20 and just four walks.
Anderson earned the win in Friday's no-hitter against the Jackson Generals working 7.0 innings without allowing a hit and striking out 14 batters while walking just two. He matched the late Tommy Hanson's 2008 record for most strikeouts in a game. Anderson and reliever
Anderson reached his 100th strikeout milestone in Friday's game and took the lead in all Double-A baseball in strikeouts with a total of 113. Anderson has struck out five or more batters in twelve-straight starts. In 16 starts, he is 6-5 with a 2.94 ERA (28 ER/85.2 IP). In the league he ranks first in opponent's batting average (.194) third in all AA baseball, tied for first in games started (16), tied for third in wins (6), third in innings pitched (85.2), ninth in ERA (2.94), and tenth in WHIP (1.20).
In the month of June, Anderson was 4-1 with a 2.35 ERA (8 ER/30.2 IP), with 43 strikeouts and only 11 walks, holding the opposing batters to a .165 batting average and 0.95 WHIP.
The Atlanta Braves drafted Anderson with the third-overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Shenendehowa High School in Rexford, New York.
Casteel, 28, takes home the player of the week for the third time this season to start off the second half. The Chattanooga, Tennessee native, played in 11 games and led the club with a .366 (15-for-41) batting average. Casteel had three doubles, three home runs, nine RBI, 27 total bases, four walks, a .433 OBP, and a 1.081 OPS.
In the league he ranks fifth in OPS (.878), tied for sixth in home runs (11), seventh in batting average (.298), seventh in slugging percentage (.507), eighth in OBP (.371), tied for ninth in total bases (109), and is tied for ninth in RBI (39).
This season Casteel has recorded four three-hit games and one four-hit game. Casteel logged his fifth career multi-homer game on Sunday, June 23 at Biloxi.
In June, Casteel had 14 runs, 30 hits, six doubles, six home runs, 22 RBI, nine bases on balls, and has a batting average of .303.
The Colorado Rockies selected Casteel in the 17th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of Cleveland State Community College. The Atlanta Braves acquired Casteel when he was signed as a minor league free agent on January 30, 2019.