Franklin, De Avila Named Farm Bureau Players of the Week

PEARL, MS - In partnership with Farm Bureau, the Mississippi Braves announced that outfielder Jesse Franklin V and starting pitcher Luis De Avila are the Farm Bureau Player and Pitcher of the Week.

The 24-year-old Franklin exploded for nine hits (9-for-23), four home runs, a double and eight RBI in six games at Biloxi. Over the week, the outfielder slashed .391/.462/.957. On Saturday, Franklin homered three times for the fourth three-homer game in club history.

Franklin is batting .240 with nine home runs and 23 RBI in 37 games for the M-Braves. The outfielder returned from Tommy John surgery on May 6 after missing more than a year of action.

Atlanta drafted Franklin in the third round (97th overall) in the 2020 MLB Draft from the University of Michigan. Franklin is a native of Seattle, Washington.

The 22-year-old De Avila picked up his third straight win on Friday, allowing one run in 5 2/3 innings against Biloxi at MGM Park. The left-hander closed out an impressive June. During the month, De Avila went 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA in 28 innings over five starts.

De Avila is 5-4 with a 2.91 ERA over 14 starts in his first Double-A season. In 65 innings, the lefty has 67 strikeouts to 32 walks. De Avila ranks among the league leaders in ERA (2.91, 2nd), wins (5, T-4th), opponent batting average (.220, 4th) and WHIP (1.29, 8th).

Atlanta selected De Avila in the Rule 5 Draft from Kansas City in December of 2021. De Avila is a native of San Estanislao, Columbia.

The M-Braves return to action tonight with the start of a six-game home series against the Montgomery Biscuits at 6:05 pm. The homestand features several great promotions, including an Independence Day Fireworks Extravaganza, Ole Miss Night, a Floppy Cap Giveaway, and Saturday Post-Game Fireworks!

For tickets and a full list of promotions, visit mississippibraves.com.