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As the minor league seasons begin to wind down, we present you the usual MLPW as well as our Players of the Month for July.

Minor League Players of the Month (July):

Pitcher:
Manuel Banuelos, 19, LHP, A+
26.1 IP, 12.30 K/9, 3.08 BB/9, 1.25 WHIP, 2.39 ERA

NoMaas Ranking - Pre-Season Top 10: #3, Mid-Season Top 20: #3
Previous Wins - Week(s): 13

Given Banuelos’ performance on the year to date, had his appendix decided not to rupture, we would probably be talking about a promotion for the young left-hander. As it stands, I expect him to finish the year in A+ (similar to Dellin Betances). It isn’t out of the question to have Manny start 2011 back at Tampa and then have him on the fast track to Trenton (again, similar to Betances). That would allow him to get his season started in sunny and warm Florida, and play there until things begin to thaw out up in Jersey.

With Jeremy Bleich’s injury and Wilkin De La Rosa’s wild ineffectiveness, Banuelos is unquestionably the best left-handed pitching prospect the Yankees possess.

Position Player:
Jesus Montero, 20, RHB C, AAA
.342/.441/.632 in 94 PAs

NoMaas Ranking - Pre-Season Top 10: #1, Mid-Season Top 20: #1
Previous Wins - Week(s): 10, 13, 14, 15

After writing about Montero for the past three weeks straight, I’ve exhausted most of the topics to touch on with the young Venezuelan. Jesus had a divine month, displaying power (.290 isoP), patience (16.0 BB%) and a batting average in line with his ‘08/’09 seasons (.329). This level of production for an entire month is impressive for any minor league player, not to mention a 20 year old who has to invest loads of energy into his defense. I will once again mention Montero's improved walk rate this year (10.1 BB%), which was the only thing lacking from his offensive game. If this upgrade is for real and not a one year abnormality, it only heightens Jesus' already prodigious ceiling.

Minor League Players of the Week (v15):

Pitcher:
Ivan Nova, 23, RHP, AAA
7.1 IP, 4 K, 1 BB, 9 H, 0 ER

NoMaas Ranking - Pre-Season Top 10: Not Ranked, Mid-Season Top 20: #17

That line before you is the definition of a solid start. Nova managed to induce thirteen groundouts to four flyouts, making the effort even more impressive. You might remember Nova’s name from some of the trade rumors that were swirling around last week (he was discussed as a piece in a possible trade for Dan Haren) or from the three scoreless innings he pitched for the Yankees during a brief stint in the majors.

Nova has a prototypical pitcher’s build (6’4”) but probably maxes out as a third starter, more likely rounding into a back of the rotation arm that can soak up innings and help keep the bullpen fresh. He doesn’t strike out a ton of hitters, so he’s always going to rely on his defense to help him out, but he makes their jobs easier by generating a good amount of ground balls (51.7 GB%).

Don’t be surprised if you see his name bandied about during next year’s spring training as a possible fifth starter. He’s an adequate option at the end of rotation and is cheap for the next couple of years. Similarly, don’t be surprised if his name emerges in the middle of hot-stove season trade talks. The Yankees system is packed with guys who project the same way that Nova does (McAllister, Phelps, Noesi, Warren, Mitchell). While these types of players are useful, the Yankees have shown little hesitation in moving them in the right deal (see: Ohlendorf, Karstens, McCutchen).

Position Player:
JR Murphy, 19, RHB C, A
.474/.565/.842 in 23 PAs

NoMaas Ranking - Pre-Season Top 10: #10, Mid-Season Top 20: #10

This is more like it.

After heaping some criticism on Murphy for his plate discipline in the recent Top 10 + 10, JR responded by drawing four walks in five games (.80 BB/G). When you consider that he had managed only sixteen free passes in his previous fifty-nine games (.27 BB/G), you realize how big a leap that is. Maybe I should start doubting our young players more often.

Murphy’s recent performance is a definite step forward for the young backstop, who in one week managed to double his home run total for the year (4). While the Yankees efforts to keep JR’s knees fresh are noble (33 games at C, 31 at DH), he hits noticeably worse when not playing defense (.745 OPS as C, .587 as DH). We always hear about how DHing can force guys to put too much pressure on themselves to hit, and that might very well be the case for Murphy. Hopefully, once JR has the legs to catch every day, we see more consistent offensive production from the Bradenton, Florida native.