Rays' Franco, Braves' Higginbotham named July 9-15 Players of the Week

REDINGTON SHORES, Fla. - Princeton Rays shortstop Wander Franco and Danville Braves pitcher Jake Higginbotham have been named Appalachian League Players of the Week for July 9-15, as announced by Minor League Baseball Monday.

Franco is currently on a 20-game hitting streak and has recorded a hit in 23 of the 24 games in which he has played this season. From July 9 to July 15, Franco batted .467 with 11 RBI and six runs scored. He hit for the cycle on July 14 vs. Pulaski, going 5-for-6 with two home runs and six RBI. Franco, 17, is in his first season of professional baseball after being signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent in July 2017. Franco is the second consecutive Princeton player to be named Appalachian League Player of the Week after Rays' outfielder Jordan Qsar earned the honor last week.
Danville pitcher Jake Higginbotham pitched six scoreless innings over two appearances from July 9 to July 15 en route to being named Pitcher of the Week. He pitched three hitless innings in a 2-0 Braves' loss to Elizabethton on July 9 and allowed just one hit in three innings pitched in Danville's 17-4 win over Bluefield on July 14. Higginbotham, 22, currently holds a 1-0 record and a 0.00 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched. The Atlanta Braves drafted the southpaw out of Clemson in the 11^th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft.