|
05/21/2007 1:46 PM ET
Offensive Players of the Week
From May 14 to May 20
By Benjamin Hill / Special to MLB.com
|
|
 Mets prospect Caleb Stewart hit .455 and was named the EL's top offensive player last week. (Joy R. Absalon)
ADVERTISEMENT
|
International League
Tike Redman, Norfolk
.520 (13-25), 12 R, 0 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 6 BB, 4 SO, 2 SB, .760 SLG
Redman returned to the Tides on Tuesday, after a dominating stint with the independent league York Revolution. The 30-year-old leadoff man hit safely in all eight games he played last week and has scored 12 runs over his past six contests. On Friday, Redman went 3-for-3 with two walks and four runs scored to lead the Tides to an 8-5 victory over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Pacific Coast League
Jason Botts, Oklahoma
.524 (11-21), 5 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 3 SO, 0 SB, .762 SLG
Botts has collected 11 hits over his last 19 at-bats, a hot streak that has increased his average 41 points to a season-high .273. The highlight of the left fielder's week came on Friday against Iowa, as he went 3-for-4 with a home run, double, five RBIs and three runs scored in the RedHawks' 9-3 victory.
Eastern League
Caleb Stewart, Binghamton
.455 (10-22), 6 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 SB, .727 SLG
Stewart's still-active 11-game hitting streak has raised his average from mediocre .247 to a sizzling .313. On Sunday, the 24-year-old outfielder went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBIs as the Mets defeated Binghamton, 7-5.
Southern League
Jake Fox, Tennessee
.522 (16-29), 9 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0 SB, 1.138 SLG
Justin Upton's phenomenal debut week with Mobile garnered a lot of attention, but Fox was even better. The 24-year collected an amazing 16 hits last week, including seven straight over the final two games of the Smokies' five-game set against Chattanooga. Fox homered twice against the Lookouts on Wednesday and followed that up with three doubles against Mississippi on Thursday.
Texas League
Gregorio Petit, Midland
.526 (10-19), 4 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0 SB, 1.000 SLG
After failing to go yard over his first 126 at-bats, Petit homered in three consecutive games this week. The shortstop's power surge has been the highlight of a recent hot stretch in which he has hit in eight consecutive games and scored a run in six of his past seven.
California League
Kyle Blanks, Lake Elsinore
.462 (12-26), 10 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 0 BB, 6 SO, 0 SB, .962 SLG
Lake Elsinore's weekend series against Lancaster was the stuff of legend, worthy of a book-length treatment. Blanks was one of the top performers over the three-game set, in which the Storm outscored the JetHawks, 63-20. On Friday, the 20-year-old went 6-for-7 with two doubles, a homer, six runs scored and four RBIs in Lake Elsinore's 30-0 victory. Blanks followed that up by homering and driving in five in Saturday's 14-12 loss, and then went 3-for-6 with a homer and double in Sunday's 21-6 victory.
Carolina League
Chris Gimenez, Kinston
.400 (6-15), 6 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0 SB, 1.267 SLG
Gimenez had the best game of his professional career against Frederick on Wednesday, homering three times and driving in six as the Indians cruised to a 16-4 win. On Saturday, the 24-year-old hit a 13th-inning homer as Kinston defeated Potomac, 10-8. Gimenez's nine dingers on the season are the fourth-most in the league.
Florida State League
Cole Gillespie, Brevard County
.458 (11-24), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 BB, 2 SO, 3 SB, .792 SLG
Gillespie's current five-game hitting streak was highlighted by his standout performance against St. Lucie on Saturday. The left fielder went 3-for-3 with two homers and five RBIs to power the Manatees to a 10-3 victory. Two days before that, Gillespie singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as Brevard County eked out an 8-7 win over the Mets.
Midwest League
Travis Snider, Lansing
.458 (11-24), 6 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SO, 0 SB, .833 SLG
Snider's streak of eight games with an RBI came to an end on Sunday, but that's about the only thing remotely disappointing about the way the 2006 first-round draft pick performed last week. The 19-year-old homered and drove in four runs to lead Lansing to a 7-4 win over Wisconsin on Saturday, and now ranks second in the league in batting (.362) and RBIs (31).
South Atlantic League
Chris Marrero, Hagerstown
.379 (11-29), 6 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 5 SO, 0 SB, .724 SLG
Marrero drove in 11 runs this week and now has 40 on the season. The 19-year-old went yard on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, and drove in four runs against Lake County on Friday. Marrero has a .353 average in the month of May and is now batting .317 on the season.
Benjamin Hill is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
|