Minor League Baseball has named Amarillo Sod Poodles infielder Manuel Peña as the Texas League Player of the Month for April, recognizing a remarkable start to his 2026 campaign. The 22-year-old delivered one of the most powerful opening months in franchise history, earning his second Texas League honor of the young season.
Across 23 games, Peña posted an impressive slash line of .298/.324/.644/.968, tallying 20 runs scored, nine doubles, nine home runs, and 21 runs batted in. His nine home runs set a new single-month franchise record for Amarillo, highlighting a surge of power rarely seen at the club level. Historically, Peña’s performance also stands out across the league. Since records dating back to 2005, he becomes just the fourth Texas League player to record at least nine doubles and nine home runs in a single calendar month.
Peña’s dominance extended across multiple offensive categories. He led the Texas League in home runs, slugging percentage, and extra-base hits, while ranking near the top in RBIs, hits, doubles, and runs scored. His 67 total bases were the highest in all of Minor League Baseball during April, underscoring his all-around offensive impact.
One of the most notable stretches of his month came between April 11 and 16, when Peña homered in five consecutive games, marking a first in Sod Poodles history. He also compiled an eight-game hitting streak from April 11 through April 19, during which he hit .500 with 11 extra-base hits and an OPS exceeding 1.600. That stretch included a standout five-hit performance, one of only a handful in franchise history.
