Unroe, Anderson named Farm Bureau Players of the Week

PEARL, MS - Mississippi Braves infielder Riley Unroe  and right-handed pitcher Ian Anderson  have been named Farm Bureau Player and Pitcher of the Week. The awards were given for their performances for the M-Braves from June 3-9. This is the first Player of the Week award for each this season. 

Unroe, 23, led the M-Braves this past week in hits (8), total bases (10) and RBI (4), finishing second on the club with a .381 batting average, two doubles, one walk, one stolen base and two runs scored over five games played. 
The Mesa, Arizona native has hit in six of seven games to begin the month of June, batting .407 (11-for-27) with three doubles, six RBI, one stolen base, three runs scored and a .947 OPS. Since joining the M-Braves from High-A Florida on May 18, Unroe is batting .301 (22-for-73) with four doubles, a triple, 13 RBI, six runs scored, three walks, two stolen bases, and a .713 OPS. Over 38 games with Florida, Unroe hit .304 with 13 extra-base hits and 20 RBI in 38 games and was named a Florida State League All-Star. 
The Braves selected Unroe from the Los Angeles Angels in the minor-league phase of the 2018 Rule 5 Draft on December 13, 2018. In 2018, he played his first season with the Angels after Los Angeles selected him from Tampa Bay in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft. He split the season between Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Salt Lake, combining to hit .228 (83-for-364) in 112 games. Unroe appeared in 95 games in 2017 between Double-A Montgomery and High-A Charlotte in the Rays system. 
Unroe was originally selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the second round (60th overall) of the 2013 draft out of Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, Arizona. 
Anderson, 21, the No. 3 overall prospect for the Atlanta Braves according to MLB Pipeline made one start last week on Wednesday against Biloxi, earning the win in Mississippi's 5-1 victory over the Shuckers at Trustmark Park. Falling an out shy of a quality start, the Southern League All-Star selection still logged 5.2 innings of one-run baseball, giving up just three hits, walking one and striking out seven. 
This season, the Rexford, New York native is 3-4 with a 3.12 ERA (21 ER/60.2 IP), 33 walks and 77 strikeouts over 12 starts. The right-hander currently ranks second in the Southern League in strikeouts and fifth in opponents' batting average at .204. His 3.12 ERA ranks just outside the top 10 at 11th. 
Anderson was the Atlanta Braves' first-round pick (3rd overall) in 2016 out of Shenendehowa High School in Rexford, New York. He was Atlanta's highest draft selection since 1991 when it took Mike Kelly second overall. The Braves selected left-hander Steve Avery in that spot back in 1988.