Three RoughRiders players honored by Rangers for May
FRISCO, Texas (June 8, 2023) - The Texas Rangers announced on Thursday that three RoughRiders players won May honors for the Rangers Minor League system. Jack Leiter captured Starting Pitcher of the Month honors while Alex Speas was named the Relief Pitcher of the Month and Jax Biggers the Defender
FRISCO, Texas (June 8, 2023) - The Texas Rangers announced on Thursday that three RoughRiders players won May honors for the Rangers Minor League system. Jack Leiter captured Starting Pitcher of the Month honors while Alex Speas was named the Relief Pitcher of the Month and Jax Biggers the Defender of the Month.
Leiter was brilliant in the month of May, going 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA over his five starts. The Summit, N.J. native struck out 33 over 27.0 innings while walking 13 and holding opponents to a .148 batting average against. The righty was fourth in the league in ERA in the month while ranking seventh in innings pitched, sixth in strikeouts, seventh in WHIP (0.96) and fourth in average against. Leiter is the No. 4 prospect in the Rangers system and the No. 76 prospect in baseball by MLB.com.
Speas, who was a member of the 2021 RoughRiders, was dominant on the mound in May. The righty owned a 1.93 ERA in the month, allowing just two earned runs over his 9.1 innings while striking out 16 to four walks in his nine outings. The Georgia native has been one of the best relievers for Frisco all season, going 1-0 with a 0.89 ERA in 18 games, striking out 35 over 20.1 innings while holding opponents to a .151 average. Among those with at least 20 innings pitched, Speas' 40.2 percent strikeout rate is the second-best in the Texas League this season.
Biggers dazzled defensively in the infield in May. Biggers split his time between third base and second base, not committing an error in the month while turning eight double plays.
The other awards are as follows:
Davis Wendzel, Round Rock Express, Player of the Month
Jack Leiter, Frisco RoughRiders, Pitcher of the Month
Alex Speas, Frisco RoughRiders, Relief Pitcher of the Month
Jax Biggers, Frisco RoughRiders, Defender of the Month
The next Frisco home game is Tuesday, June 20th at 11:05 a.m. when the Springfield Cardinals come to town. That series concludes the first half of the 2023 season. Get your tickets now at RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the 2022 Texas League champions. In 2023, the team is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has consistently finished in the top five among all Double-A franchises in attendance yearly. In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, Bullpen Bar, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 185 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including current Rangers Josh Jung, Cole Ragans and Bubba Thompson. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].