Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons has been voted National League Rookie of the Month for June. It marks the fifth consecutive season that a Braves player has won rookie honors. The others include Jair Jurrjens (June 2008), Tommy Hanson (June 2009), Jason Heyward (April and May 2010), Craig Kimbrel (June and August 2011) and Freddie Freeman (July 2011).
In 25 June contests, Simmons hit .333 (30-for-90) with six doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI. The 22-year-old ranked among N.L. rookie leaders in nearly every offensive category, placing first in batting average, on-base percentage (.365) and hits. Simmons had the second-highest rookie slugging percentage (.522), tied for second in RBI, tied for third in doubles, tied for sixth in home runs and tied for seventh in runs scored (10). Since his Major League debut on June 2nd, the Mundo Nobo, Curaçao native has started at shortstop in 26 games for the Braves, leading the Club with 10 multi-hit games in that span. The youngster hit safely in 17 of his first 25 Major League contests and notched five multi-RBI games in his first calendar month. On June 30th, Simmons went 3-for-4, matching his career high in hits (done three times), with an RBI and a run scored in a 7-5 victory over the N.L. East-leading Washington Nationals. On June 22nd, Atlanta’s second round pick in the 2010 First- Year Player Draft contributed a key two-run double in a 4-1 Interleague victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Simmons, who is the first player from the Braves’ 2010 Draft class to reach the Majors, clubbed his first career home run on June 9th off Toronto’s Drew Hutchison, exactly two years to the day after signing with the organization. Simmons collected his first career hit on June 3rd in his second Major League game, hitting a second-inning double off Washington’s Gio Gonzalez. Prior to his call-up, Simmons was hitting .292 (50-for-171) with three homers and 21 RBI in 43 games with Double-A Mississippi. This is his first career monthly honor.
Other rookies receiving votes included Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper (.274, 29 H, 6 2B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 6 SB, .336 OBP) and outfielder/first baseman Tyler Moore (.425, 17 H, 4 HR, 11 RBI, .800 SLG, .521 OBP); Colorado catcher Wilin Rosario (.265, 22 H, 4 2B, 6 HR, 17 RBI, .520 SLG, 14 R); Milwaukee backstop Martin Maldonado (.274, 20 H, 5 HR, 14 RBI, .493 SLG, .338 OBP) and pitcher Michael Fiers (2-2, 2.51 ERA, 38 SO, 32.1 IP); Arizona starting pitcher and 2012 N.L. All-Star Wade Miley (3-3, 3.46 ERA, 34 SO, 41.2 IP); and Houston pitchers Lucas Harrell (3-2, 3.63 ERA, 24 SO, 34.2 IP) and Dallas Keuchel (1-0, 1.35 ERA, 8 SO, 20.0 IP). The National League Rookie of the Month for June 2012, Andrelton Simmons, will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, to commemorate his performance.