Sanchez, Pounders earn weekly AFL honors

Given the way the Saguaros have played to start the Arizona Fall League season, it's perhaps no Surprise to see two of their stars honored by the circuit Tuesday. 

Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez and Royals right-hander Brooks Pounders, both members of the Arizona Fall League West-leading Surprise squad, were named AFL Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for Week 2, the league announced.

Sanchez went 8-for-19 (.421) with two homers, two doubles and nine RBIs over a four-game stretch last week. He kept up that hot stretch by going 2-for-5 with a solo homer on Monday and now has multiple hits in four straight Fall League contests.

The Yankees' No. 5 prospect now leads the AFL with five homers, 15 RBIs, 16 hits, 33 total bases and a .943 slugging percentage through his first eight games for the Saguaros. He hit .274/.330/.485 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs in 93 games at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre during the regular season before making a two-game cameo with the Major League club in October.

Pounders struck out seven, allowed two hits over four innings and earned the win in Surprise's 10-0 win over Scottsdale last Wednesday. The 25-year-old right-hander has yet to allow a run or walk while fanning 10 and giving up four hits in seven frames thus far in the Fall League. He threw only 68 1/3 innings across four levels this season after missing all of April and May and most of June with a lat injury. He posted a 2.19 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 32 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, his highest-level club of the 2015 campaign. 

Carlos Estevez (Rockies/Salt River), Adalberto Mejia (Giants/Scottsdale), Renato Nunez (A's/Mesa) and Dominic Smith (Mets/Surprise) were also considered for Week 2 awards, according to the Fall League.