Atlanta Braves: Evan Gattis Named NL Rookie Of The Month For April

April 26, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher

(24) during batting practice before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

In a move a bit more surprising than the Justin Upton selection, Evan Gattis has been named the rookie of the month for the National League in the month of April. Whereas teammate Justin Upton, has been firing on all cylinders for the entire month, Evan Gattis has been cooling down of late.

However, a strong start and .566 slugging percentage would be enough to carry him to the award. Gattis led all rookies with that slugging percentage as well as 6 home runs, 16 RBI, and 43 total bases. He ended the month with a triple slash of .250/.310/.566 as well as a .369 wOBA and a 138 wRC+.

Even though the rookie class this year is much less impressive than the class last year, this is still a great achievement for Gattis, who has never hit above the double A level before this year. Gattis was one of the only hitters to be considered for the award with votes going to many different pitchers including Shelby Miller (3-2, 2.05 ERA) of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-1, 3.35 ERA) of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

For more on Gattis’ numbers in April, check out the story on mlb.com.

After this weekend, the Braves and Gattis will be entering a transition period following the return of Brian McCann–who is in the middle of a rehab assignment after recovering from off season shoulder surgery. He might continue to get starts while serving as McCann’s back up, he could be moved to a 1B/OF/PH role on the bench, or he could be assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett, to continue receiving regular at-bats and developing as a hitter.

Regardless of what happens, Gattis has made his mark on baseball this year, and adds another interesting chapter to the amazing story he has to tell.