NEW YORK -- The MLB Draft League announced that West Virginia’s Trace Willhoite and Trenton’s Jacob Denner were named Hitter and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for August/September.
Willhoite garnered Hitter of the Month honors after hitting .272 (28-for-103) with 10 home runs, four doubles, 27 RBI and 19 runs scored in 27 games for the Black Bears. He led all Draft League hitters during August/September in home runs, total bases (62), extra-base hits (tied-14), slugging (.602) and OPS (.955). He also was second in RBI (27) and scored the sixth-most runs (tied).
Willhoite, 23, was named the Draft League’s Hitter of the Week for the final week of the regular season (Aug. 26 to Sept. 4) after batting .367 (11-for-30) with five home runs, one double, nine RBI and 10 runs scored in eight games for the Black Bears. He led all MLB Draft League hitters during the period in home runs, runs scored, total bases (27), slugging (.900) and OPS (1.386). He also ranked second (tied) in RBI, third in extra-base hits (tied-6), and finished fifth and sixth in walks (tied-5) and average, respectively.
Willhoite had seven multi-hit games and had another seven games in which he recorded multiple RBI during August/September, led by a pair of season-best four-RBI performances in back-to-back games (Aug. 11-12). He homered in a Draft League season-high four consecutive games for the Black Bears from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3, culminating with a walk-off solo homer against Mahoning Valley. Willhoite previously had homered in three straight games (Aug. 11-13) and back-to-back contests (Aug. 25, Aug. 27). He tallied at least one RBI in five consecutive games from Aug. 29 to Sept. 3 and matched his season-high with three hits (3-for-5) at State College on Aug. 27.
For the season, Willhoite hit .306 (44-for-144) with a .389 OBP and .597 slugging (.986 OPS), tallying 34 RBI and 29 runs scored over 39 games with the Black Bears. He led the circuit in home runs (10), total bases (86), slugging, OPS and extra-base hits (21) and finished third in RBI (tied) and fifth (tied) in runs scored. Additionally, Willhoite posted a .359 (14-for-39) and 1.093 OPS, with three home runs, three doubles and 25 RBI when batting with runners in scoring position.
A Georgetown, Ky., native, Willhoite was an ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I Southeast All-Region Second Team and Second Team All-ASUN selection this year after hitting .303 with 19 home runs and 61 RBI as a Lipscomb graduate student. Playing 175 games over three seasons with the Bisons, Willhoite hit .288 and slugged .607 while producing a program-record 53 home runs and 169 RBI.
Denner earned Pitcher of the Month honors after going 2-0 with four holds and one save in 26 1/3 innings over 11 games (one start) for Trenton in August/September. He led all Draft League pitchers during the period in ERA (0.34), WHIP (0.49), opponent OPS (.278) and holds (tied), and finished second in strikeouts (39) and BAA (.115). Denner was previously named the Draft League’s Pitcher of the Week from Aug. 19 to Aug. 25.
Denner, 24, did not allow a run in 10 of his 11 outings for the Thunder, completed more than one inning on eight occasions and had another eight with at least two strikeouts during the final month-plus of the regular season. He racked up 12 strikeouts in seven innings -- both season-highs -- in his lone start for the Thunder on Aug. 30, allowing one earned run on three hits in a win over State College.
Overall, Denner went 2-0 with five holds and one save while pitching in 15 games (one start) for the second-half champion Thunder. Working 33 2/3 innings, the left-hander led the Draft League in ERA (1.07), WHIP (0.56), BAA (.124) and opponent OPS (.299). He compiled 49 strikeouts, fourth-most in the circuit, against five walks to lead the Draft League in K/9 (13.50) with the second-best K/BB (9.8).
As a reliever, Denner did not allow a run over his final 12 regular-season appearances (July 27 to Sept. 4). He completed three scoreless innings out of the Thunder bullpen at State College on Aug. 22 and on Sept. 4 at Frederick, notching three strikeouts while facing a minimum of nine batters in both outings. Denner did not yield a hit in nine of his 14 relief appearances.
A Closter, N.J., native, Denner was an All-Big Ten First Team Relief Pitcher selection this year as a University of Iowa fifth-year senior. Going 9-5 with four saves in 28 appearances (four starts), Denner registered a 3.89 ERA while striking out 70 in 85 2/3 innings. He logged 94 appearances, including 33 starts, in five seasons with the Hawkeyes, finishing with a 4.72 ERA and 269 strikeouts in 288 innings. Denner also pitched for the Danville Otterbots in the 2023 Appalachian League, posting a 3.78 ERA with 24 strikeouts and one walk in 16 2/3 innings.
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