Joe Gray Jr. Named Low-A East Player of the Week
ZEBULON - The Carolina Mudcats, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, are thrilled to announce that outfielder Joe Gray Jr. has been named the Low-A East Player of the Week for the week ending on May 30. Gray slugged a gargantuan .957 with three doubles and three home runs, including
ZEBULON - The Carolina Mudcats, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, are thrilled to announce that outfielder Joe Gray Jr. has been named the Low-A East Player of the Week for the week ending on May 30. Gray slugged a gargantuan .957 with three doubles and three home runs, including two grand slams, during the award-winning week of play.
In all, Gray went 10-for-23 and hit .435/.519/.957 with a 1.475 OPS, 10 runs, three doubles, three home runs, 17 RBI, four walks and two stolen bases over six games from May 24 through May 30. He additionally hit safely in each game played and his three home runs lifted his Low-A East leading total to seven on the season.
Gray’s first and last home runs of the week were grand slams, helping him accumulate 17 RBI, the second most in all of Minor League Baseball during the period of May 24 through May 30. Additionally, Gray’s 10 runs scored left him one shy of the weekly MiLB lead behind current teammate Gabe Holt.
Gray, 21, began the week with his first career grand slam and drove in a career high six RBI while going 3-for-6 overall in Carolina’s record setting (most runs in team history) 23-7 victory over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on May 25. His six RBI night fell one RBI short of matching the Mudcats’ single-game franchise record.
The Hattiesburg, MS native continued the week-long series versus Kannapolis by going 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI in an 11-6 Carolina victory on May 26. He then went 1-for-3 with three runs, a double and two RBI in Carolina’s 12-6 victory on May 27 and 1-for-3 with a run in a 6-1 victory on May 28.
Gray capped his tremendous week by going 2-for-3 with a two-run homer as Carolina took game one of a May 30 doubleheader 5-0. He then went 1-for-3 in game two with his lone hit being a go-ahead grand slam that gave Carolina its first lead of a series sweep clinching 9-5 victory.
JOE GRAY JR. GRAND SLAM FOR THE LEAD.
— Carolina Mudcats (@CarolinaMudcats) May 30, 2021
The new Low-A East leader in home runs has one in each game of the doubleheader, and his second grand slam this week. pic.twitter.com/DSGwpzUFzC
The Brewers selected Gray in the second round (60th overall) of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft from Hattiesburg High School in Hattiesburg, MS. Gray is in his first season with the Mudcats, and his third overall at the professional level.
Gray is the second Mudcats player to earn player of the week honors this season. Pitcher and Creedmoor, NC native Justin Bullock was the first. The honor is also the first for Gray in his professional career.
The Carolina Mudcats are the official Low-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. First established in 1991, the two-time Southern League Champion Mudcats are in their 31st consecutive season of baseball at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C. The Mudcats are owned and operated by the Milwaukee Brewers.