2009 Yankees June Awards

July is my favorite month of the year, (mainly because of my birthday and the warm weather) but first, it was an exciting third month of the season. Let’s hand out some awards to the Yankees’ best June performers:

Best Hitter:  Alex Rodriguez
Yes, I am awarding the player with the lowest batting average in June with the best hitter of the month award. He hit just .207, but made up for it with walks and extra base hits to give him a .387 OBP and .415 SLG. He was the most productive Yankee, leading the team with five homers and 22 RBI.

Honorable Mention:  Derek Jeter
He was the only Yankee with over 50 at bats to hit over .300. He hit .310/.394/.414 and stole seven bases. He finished with only seven RBI, but did his job as a leadoff hitter: to get on base, and to score runs (17, led the team).

Best Pitcher:  A.J. Burnett
He led all starters with a 2.10 ERA (next closest: CC Sabathia at 3.77) and was the only Yankee pitcher to collect three wins. He also led the team with 35 strikeouts. In his two losses, he gave up four earned runs (seven total runs).

Honorable Mention:  Alfredo Aceves
Aceves was even more dominant in June than he was in April. He posted a 1.32 ERA, and led the bullpen in innings (13-2/3) and victories (2). Seven of his nine appearances were shutout performances. It is the second month in a row that Aceves earned the honorable mention.

Surprising Standout:  Phil Hughes
For the first time in his regular season career, Hughes pitched from the bullpen. He shined in his new role, posting a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings of work. He finished tied for bullpen lead in strikeouts (16), and led the team in WHIP (0.60)

Honorable Mention:  Brett Gardner
In 48 at bats, Gardner hit .333/.439/.479, scoring 10 runs and stealing eight bases. His stats were inflated by hit five-hit performance against the Mets on 6/26, but still, it was a solid month for Gardner. Note: he batted just .220 in April, but hit .330 in May and June.

Previous Monthly Awards
2009 Yankees May Awards
2009 Yankees April Awards