# Matthew Liberatore & Juan Yepez Named Cardinals Top Minor Leaguers For August - Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/matthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august/ - Published: 2021-09-03T16:21:26-05:00 - Author: Eugene Tierney MATTHEW LIBERATORE & JUAN YEPEZ NAMED CARDINALSTOP MINOR LEAGUERS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST Liberatore earns second monthly team honor of 2021; Yepez wins second honor, previously in 2018 **ST. LOUIS, Mo., September 3, 2021** – The St. Louis Cardinals announced today their selections for Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for August, with Memphis (AAA) taking home both awards honoring left-handed pitcher **[Matthew Liberatore](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=libera000mat&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-)** and first baseman **[Juan Yepez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=yepez-000jua&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-)**. Liberatore, 21, a former first round draft selection by the Tampa Bay Rays, was acquired by the Cardinals via trade in 2020 for [Randy Arozarena](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/arozara01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-) and [Jose Martinez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=martijo08,martijo06,martijo04,martin088jos,martin089jos,martin097jos,martin098jos,martin037jos,martin076jos,martin094jos,martin072jos,martin075jos,martin056jos,martin073jos,martin059jos&search=Jose+Martinez&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-), won the award for the second time this season also taking home the honors in June. The No. 2 prospect in the Cardinals organization entering the 2021 season, according to _Baseball America_, was 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA in four starts during the month for Memphis. He pitched 25.1 innings and struck out 24 while holding opponents to a . 240 batting average. He threw three consecutive 7.0 inning starts to finish the month with a 68.2 percent strike rate over the trifecta of starts. Liberatore matched his season-high in strikeouts with nine for the third time this season in a seven- inning start vs. Nashville on August 17. “Matthew’s Pitcher of the Month of August follows his June selection as well, starting four games, highlighted by a 4:1 strikeout to walk ratio over 25.1 innings,” complimented** Gary LaRocque**, St. Louis Cardinals Director of Player Development. Yepez, 23, a Venezuelan-born trade acquisition by the Cardinals from the Atlanta Braves in 2017 for [Matt Adams](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=adamsma01,y-----000mat&search=Matt+Adams&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-), batted .355 (27-95) with 10 doubles, seven home runs, 22 RBI and posted a positive walk to strikeout rate at 14:13 for the month of July. The right-handed slugger posted a .453 on-base percentage with a .763 slugging percentage. His 20 home runs in Memphis this season leads the squad and rank T-8th in Triple-A East, despite joining the club on June 2nd. Since July 6, Yepez’s leads all minor league players with a .722 slugging percentage, while his 18 home runs ranks T-5th and his 45 RBI are T-7th over that span. On August 22 vs. Nashville, Yepez came within one double of the Memphis club record ([Keith McDonald](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcdonke01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-), 5, 2001) hitting four doubles. He followed the effort a week later with two home runs and team-high seven RBI including his third career grand slam, coming vs. Columbus on August 28. “Juan leads the Triple-A East in slugging and OPS, and the month of August was impressive offensively with a 1.216 OPS and .763 slugging percentage,” said LaRocque. **-STL-** ### Share this: * [ Facebook ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/matthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august/?share=facebook) * [ X ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/matthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august/?share=x) * [ Email ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/matthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august/?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Matthew%20Liberatore%20%26%20Juan%20Yepez%20Named%20Cardinals%20Top%20Minor%20Leaguers%20For%20August&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyrdcast.com%2Fmatthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august%2F&share=email) * [ LinkedIn ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/matthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august/?share=linkedin) * [ Mastodon ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/matthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august/?share=mastodon) * [ Nextdoor ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/matthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august/?share=nextdoor) * [ Pinterest ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/matthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august/?share=pinterest) * [ Reddit ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/matthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august/?share=reddit) * [ Tumblr ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/matthew-liberatore-juan-yepez-named-cardinals-top-minor-leaguers-for-august/?share=tumblr) ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _Related_