Cubs Name Caratini, Robinson MiLB Player, Pitcher of the Month

The Cubs announced Monday afternoon that catcher Victor Caratini and right-handed pitcher Duncan Robinson the organization’s player and pitcher of the month. Caratini has moved steadily up the ladder since his acquisition in 2014 and is now a mainstay in the lineup for AAA Iowa. Robinson, who was recently profiled here on CI, is a Dartmouth product like Kyle Hendricks, but with a much different style.

For more on these two prospects and their award-winning May performances, check out the Cubs’ official release:

Caratini, 23, batted .366 (30-for-82) with six doubles, one triple, three homers, 17 RBI and five walks in 24 May contests with Iowa. His .366 average ranked eighth in the Pacific Coast League in May, and he led Iowa with a .573 slugging mark and a .971 OPS. He posted consecutive four-hit games, May 8-9 vs. Memphis, and also added two three-hit contests and four two-hit games.

The switch-hitting Caratini is batting .339 (59-for-174) with 13 doubles, two triples, five homers and 34 RBI in 48 games this season at Iowa. His .339 average leads the Cubs organization, while his 34 RBI rank second. He has played 28 games behind the dish, throwing out seven runners attempting to steal, and started 17 games at first base.

Acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline in 2014, Caratini is in his third full season in the Cubs organization. He enjoyed a breakout campaign last season at Double-A Tennessee, earning Southern League mid-season and post-season All-Star honors. In his career, he is batting .284 (442-for-1,555) with 114 doubles, 11 triples, 21 homers and 214 RBI in 434 games across five minor league seasons.

Robinson, 23, went 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA (3 ER/27.0 IP) in five games (three starts) in May for South Bend. He fanned 24 batters while walking just two and allowing three home runs. He tossed a season-high tying 7.0 innings twice, May 9 at Burlington (3 H, 0 R) and May 29 vs. Fort Wayne (4 H, 1 R). His 0.70 WHIP led the Midwest League in May and his 1.00 ERA ranked third.

The six-foot, six-inch 230-pound righty ranks fourth in the Midwest League with a 1.34 ERA as he has allowed just eight earned runs in 53.2 innings this season. He has struck out 43 while walking seven, contributing to a miniscule 0.84 WHIP. His five wins rank second on the club.

Selected by the Cubs in the ninth round of the 2016 Draft out of Dartmouth University, he has gone 7-3 with a 2.07 ERA (17 ER/74.0 IP) in 19-career games, including six starts.