Phillies Press Release :
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Clearwater outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. and right-handed pitcher Orion Kerkering have been named Phillies Minor League Hitter and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for April.
Rincones, 22, posted a .268/.409/.521 slash line (.930 OPS), going 19-for-71 with six doubles, four home runs, 10 RBI, 14 walks and 13 stolen bases in 20 games with single-A Clearwater during April. The left-handed hitter was tied for the Florida State League lead in home runs, ranked fifth in OPS, sixth in slugging percentage and tied for sixth in doubles during the month. He was also named Florida State League Player of the Week for the week of April 24-30. Rincones was selected by the Phillies in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Florida Atlantic University and prior to the season was ranked the seventh-best prospect in the Phillies farm system by Baseball America.
The 22-year-old Kerkering made seven scoreless relief appearances in April, allowing only two base runners and striking out 13 of the 24 batters he faced (54.2%). The six-foot-two right-hander converted all three of his save opportunities, finishing April tied for the Florida State League lead in saves. Kerkering posted the lowest WHIP (0.27) among all pitchers with at least seven innings pitched and his 13.00 strikeout to walk ratio was fifth-best in the league. Dating back to last season, he has now posted a scoreless outing in 13 of his 14 professional appearances. The University of South Florida graduate was selected by the Phillies in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
Orion Kerkering & Gabriel Rincones Jr - photos by Rebecca Alexander & Casey Burns