The ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ has selected Lake Country DockHounds 1B Ryan Hernandez and Kane County Cougars RHP Konnor Ash as the Rawlings Batter and Pitcher of the Month for May, the league office announced today.
Hernandez has been the top producer in a potent Lake Country line-up. He has batted .353 (18-for-51) with three doubles, seven home runs, 20 RBIs and 13 runs scored in 14 games for the East Division-leading DockHounds. Hernandez leads the league in slugging percentage (.824) and OPS (1.292) and is second in home runs and RBIs.Â
Hernandez, from Boston, Mass., has become one of the most prolific sluggers in MLB Partner League baseball. He entered the American Association in 2023 with the Cleburne Railroaders and batted .303 with 11 doubles, seven home runs and 35 Rbis in 41 games sandwiched around a stint in the Los Angeles Angels organization. After moving to Lake Country in 2024, he has continued to smash baseballs. Hernandez clubbed 29 home runs and drove in 92 runs in 90 games in 2024, and added 21 doubles, 18 home run and 50 RBIs for the DockHounds last season.
Ash has continued to be the ace of the Kane County Cougars, a role he embraced in 2025. To start the 2026 season, Ash is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in three starts. He has allowed four runs (all earned) on 11 hits in 18.2 innings pitched, while racking up 15 strikeouts versus just three walks. Ash’s pitching has helped Kane County to the second-best record in the American Association through May.
Ash joined the Cougars for the 2025 season after four seasons in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He reached Double-A with the Reading Phillies twice, including the entire 2024 season. Last year, with Kane County, was 10-3 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts, which earned him the start in the 2025 American Association All-Star Game and helped Kane County to their second consecutive Miles Wolff Cup title.. He also was a member of the 2026 Baseball Champions League title-winning Cougars team this spring.Â
