Round Rock Express INF Abraham Toro, RHP Cristian Javier Named Houston Astros Minor League Players of the Year
September 18, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Houston Astros announced this week that former Round Rock Express INF Abraham Toro and current E-Train RHP Cristian Javier have been named the Houston Astros Minor League Players of the Year. Toro was named the organization's Player of the Year while Javier took home the Pitcher of the Year award.
Toro made a brief stop in Round Rock on his way to making his major league debut with the Astros on August 22. After joining the E-Train from the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks on August 1, the 22-year-old hit .424 (28-66) with nine doubles, a home run and 10 RBI in 16 games with Round Rock. He tallied multiple hits in 10 of his 16 games with the E-Train, including a career-best 5-6 night on August 8 at El Paso. He blasted his first career Triple-A home run on August 21, the night before he was recalled by Houston.
Toro appeared in 98 games with the Hooks before his promotion to the Express, hitting .306 (115-376) with 22 doubles, four triples, 16 home runs and a team-high 70 RBI. He earned Texas League Player of the Week honors in May before being named a Texas League Midseason All-Star.
Between his time in Round Rock and Corpus Christi, Toro combined to hit .324 (143-442) with 31 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs and 80 RBI. Through his first 20 games with the Astros, Toro is hitting .239 (16-67) with three doubles, two triples, two home runs and eight RBI. A native of Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, Toro was selected by Houston in the fifth round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
Javier burst onto the scene in 2019 with some eye-popping numbers. The righty began the season with Class A-Advanced Fayetteville, going 2-0 with a 0.94 ERA (3 ER/28.2 IP) while striking out 40 to just 16 walks. He was promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi on May 15, where he proceeded to go 6-2 with a 2.07 ERA (17 ER/74.0 IP) in 17 games, including 11 starts, with the Hooks. He racked up 114 strikeouts to 39 walks while holding his Texas League opposition to a .124 batting average and 0.95 WHIP.
He was promoted to Round Rock on August 23, making two starts for the Express during the team's playoff push. Javier allowed just two earned runs in 11.0 total innings while striking out 16 and walking four to begin his Triple-A career. He made one start for the Express in the American Conference Championship Series, holding Iowa to two runs on four hits while striking out nine in a no-decision on September 7.
Between three levels in the Astros organization in 2019, Javier has posted an 8-3 record with a 1.74 ERA (22 ER/113.2 IP) while striking out 170 and walking 59. He owns a .130 opponent batting average and 0.97 WHIP in 26 total games, including 18 starts, this season. He was originally signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent on March 18, 2015.
The pair of honors mark the fifth and sixth time this season that Express players have taken home awards from the Houston Astros. OF Yordan Alvarez was named the organization's Player of the Month for April before OF Kyle Tucker took home the hardware in May. INF Jack Mayfield and Javier recently swept the club's Player of the Month Awards for August.
For more information on the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and join the conversation during our historic 20th season using #20STROng.
Pacific Coast League Stories from September 18, 2019
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