Cubs name Kris Bryant, Paul Blackburn top players in May

The Chicago Cubs named third baseman Kris Bryant the organization’s minor league player of month while right-hander Paul Blackburn earned minor league pitcher of the month award on Wednesday.

Bryant, 22, led the Southern League with a .407 batting average, 30 runs, seven doubles, 12 home runs, 34 RBI and 17 walks in 29 games in May at Double-A Tennessee. The 22-year-old also led the league with a .492 on-base percentage and .806 slugging percentage.

Bryant had 14 multiple-hit games and leads the league with a .353 average, 19 home runs, 51 RBI, and a .460 on-base percentage. He was named Tuesday to the 2014 Southern League All-Star game.

Blackburn, 20, went 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA in five May starts for Class-A Kane County. Blackburn struck out 26, walked five and allowed just one home run over 28 1/3 innings. He is 5-1 with a 2.33 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 10 starts this season.

Blackburn was selected 56th overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft out of Hertiage High School in Brentwood, Calif. He made 13 appearances (12 starts) with short-season Boise last year and went 20 2/3 innings in the Arizona Rookie League in 2012.

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