Abreu is MWL Pitcher of the Week for July 3

DAVENPORT, Iowa - River Bandits starting pitcher and Houston Astros prospect Albert Abreu has been named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 27 through July 3. Abreu book-ended the week with two scoreless outings, tossing a combined 13 scoreless innings in two starts and picking up a win. He allowed just nine base runners, five hits and four walks, while striking out 11 combined hitters. Abreu is the second River Bandit to earn a weekly league award and is the second Bandits pitcher in the last three weeks to earn the honor. Jose Hernandez earned Player of the Week June 12 through June 19.

 

In his first start of the week, Abreu tossed five scoreless innings on June 27 against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The 20-year-old struck out six and surrendered three hits and a pair of walks. He left with a 3-0 lead and got his first home win of the season after the Bandits held on for a 5-4 final. In his follow-up outing, Abreu raised the stakes. He went eight scoreless innings and struck out five Kane County Cougars on July 3 while allowing just two hits and two walks. The River Bandits got him a lead with a run in the top of the eighth inning, but a two-run ninth for the Cougars off the River Bandits bullpen cost Abreu a chance for back-to-back wins.

 

"It's great to see Abreu perform the way he has," says River Bandits pitching coach Chris Holt. "But, more importantly, it's great to see the carry-over from the focus he put into his work between outings."

 

The No. 10 prospect in the Astros organization got off to a slow start in his first full season of pro baseball. After his eleventh appearance of the year, a start against the Beloit Snappers on June 7, Abreu had just a 1-6 record with a 6.47 ERA. But in his last four outings, Abreu has gone a total of 24 innings, allowing one earned run on nine hits and striking out 20 batters. His ERA has dropped to 4.20 on the season after his back-to-back shutout performances, capped off with Pitcher of the Week honors.

 

"His recent success is a credit to his ability to stay focused, repeat his delivery and execute quality pitches both with and without runners on base," says Holt.

 

Overall in 2016, the 20-year-old Abreu is 2-6 with a 4.20 ERA in 15 games, 11 starts, with 82 strikeouts on the year. Abreu was signed by the Astros out of Guayubin, Dominican Republic on August 5, 2013. Born September 26, 1995, Abreu made his professional debut for the Dominican Summer League Astros in 2014, going 3-2 with a 2.78 ERA in 14 starts before making his state-side debut with rookie-level Greeneville in 2015. He posted a 2-3 record last season with the G-Stros, starting seven of his 13 contests and garnering a 2.51 ERA.