Matt Duffy, 38th former 'Cat to reach MLB

TROY -- The Houston Astros will call up Pacific Coast League Player of the Year Matt Duffy on Monday, making him the 38th former member of the Tri-City ValleyCats to reach Major League Baseball.

Duffy, 26, is a native of Boston, MA, and was the 20th round draft pick by the Houston Astros in 2011 out of the University of Tennesse.

He played in 63 games with the ValleyCats that year, as the starting third baseman. Duffy hit at a .298 clip with a team best 20 doubles amd 36 runs scored, to go along with 37 RBIs.

He was named a New York-Penn League All-Star that year, and has been an All-Star at every level throughout the Astros minor league system.

This season, Duffy was hitting .294 with 20 HRs and 104 RBIs at Triple-A Fresno. He started the majority of his games at third base, while also spending time at first and as the designated hitter.

Fresno has just clinched a berth in the PCL championship, which Duffy will miss upon joining the Astros. According to Astros manager A.J. Hinch, he will initially be used as a bat off of the bench, with a chance to earn more playing time if he does well.

The Astros begin a crucial four game series with the Texas Rangers on Monday in Arlington. Houston holds just a slim 1 1/2 game lead over the Rangers for first place in the American League West.

Duffy's promotion by the numbers

- 38th former Tri-City ValleyCat to go from "The Joe" to "The Show"

- 4th this year (after RHP Michael Feliz and RHP Vince Velasquez)

-18th position player

- 3rd from the 2011 Tri-City ValleyCats (Joins RHP Nick Tropeano and OF George Springer)