Benintendi Named Carolina League Player of the Week

SALEM, Va. (May 2, 2016) - Salem Red Sox centerfielder Andrew Benintendi earned Carolina League Player of the Week honors for April 25-May 1, the league announced on Monday. Benintendi becomes the first member of the 2016 Red Sox to garner a weekly award from the league.

In five games this week, Benintendi hit .450 (9-for-20) with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored and 11 RBI. The 11 runs batted in were tied for the most in all of Minor League Baseball for the past week. In his first full year as a professional, Benintendi is currently riding a 19-game hitting streak, the longest in professional baseball this season.

This is the second weekly honor for Benintendi in his career as he also garnered the New-York Penn League's player of the week honor for August 10-16, 2015.

This week, Benintendi collected 11 RBI during a three-game stretch from Wednesday through Friday. He hit his first Carolina League home run on Wednesday at Frederick to cap off a 10-run eighth inning. He then established a new career-high with four RBI on Thursday, including a go-ahead three-run double in the eighth inning. The next night at Myrtle Beach, he matched the four RBI while driving in all four runs of Salem's 4-3 win over the Pelicans.

Benintendi has appeared in 22 games for the Red Sox, hitting .360 with 10 doubles, six triples, a home run and 22 RBI. He currently leads the team (among qualifiers) in average, hits (32), doubles, triples, and RBI. His 17 extra-base hits this season are tied for the most in MiLB. He also paces the squad with nine multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games. 

Boston selected Benintendi seventh overall in the 2015 Draft out of the University of Arkansas. The 2015 Golden Spikes Award winner is listed as Boston's third-best prospect by Baseball America MLBPipeline.com.