PCL Players of the Week, August 5-11
The Pacific Coast League office announced Monday that Nashville Sounds infielder Patrick Wisdom and right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon of the Memphis Redbirds were named Player and Pitcher of the Week for the period of August 5-11, 2019.
The Pacific Coast League office announced Monday that Nashville Sounds infielder
For the week, Wisdom hit a league-leading seven home runs and tied for the league lead with 11 RBI. In six games for the Sounds, Wisdom also led the league in total bases (32), slugging percentage (1.391) and tied for the league lead in runs scored (9). For Wisdom, he homered in six consecutive games from August 4-10, while homering twice on August 7 at Fresno and August 10 at Sacramento. His six consecutive games with a home run fell just one game shy of tying the modern PCL record set by Claude Westmoreland (Albuquerque, June, 27- July 3, 1997, nine home runs in seven games) and Dallas McPherson (Albuquerque, June 18, 21-24, 26-27, 2008, seven home runs in seven games).
Wisdom, who was selected in the first round (52nd overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2012 draft out of Saint Mary's (CA), is batting .237 (75-for-316) with 26 home runs and 59 RBI in 86 games for Nashville this season. His 26 home runs on the campaign are five shy of tying his career high of 31 which he hit in the 2017 season with the Memphis Redbirds. For Wisdom, this is his second Player of the Week honor in eight professional seasons (June 22, 2015, with Double-A Springfield).
In his lone start of the week for the Redbirds, Ponce de Leon went seven scoreless innings surrendering just two hits. The right-hander racked up 11 strikeouts, and did not issue a walk in the visiting Redbirds 15-0 win over the Pacific North Division leading Sacramento River Cats. For Ponce de Leon, he retired the side in order in five of seven innings pitched while striking out the side once. The La Mirada, Calif., native led the league for the week in WHIP (0.29). In pitchers who tossed seven innings or more, Ponce de Leon led the league in average against (.087) and fewest hits allowed (2). His 11 strikeouts in just one game placed him tied for third in the league.
On the season, the 27-year-old is 5-4 with a 3.66 ERA in 13 starts for Memphis. Ponce de Leon, who was selected in the 9th round by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2014 draft out of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, has also spent part of the 2019 season with the parent club. In 10 games (seven starts) the right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.76 ERA and has 44 strikeouts in just 40.2 innings pitched. For the 2018 PCL midseason All-Star, this is the second Pitcher of the Week honor in his career (July 15, 2018, with Memphis).