ROUND ROCK, Texas – El Paso Chihuahuas outfielder Franmil Reyes had a historic week at the plate and was named the Pacific Coast League’s Player of the Week for April 30-May 6, 2018, the League office announced on Monday.
Reyes’ offensive onslaught featured 17 hits, 11 extra-base hits, eight home runs, 44 total bases and 13 runs, all totals that led Minor League Baseball. He has homered in five consecutive games, including a stretch that saw him post three straight multi-homer games.
Reyes is the first PCL player to hit eight or more home runs in a single week since May 21-27, 2007, when Omaha’s Craig Brazell also hit eight. In total, Reyes hit .607 (17-for-28) with 14 RBI, slugging 1.571 for an OPS of 2.217, the latter two of which also paced MiLB.
The 22-year-old, who collected a hit and run scored in all seven contests, has posted six consecutive multi-hit games, the last four of which have been three-hit efforts. He got on base three times, drove in a run and scored a run in a May 1 win against Reno.
Reyes followed by hitting six home runs over the next three games, from May 2-4, a span that saw him reach base in 10-of-13 plate appearances, collect nine RBI and score eight runs. Reyes finished the week with his fourth and fifth straight games with a home run, highlighted by his three-hit, three-RBI performance May 6 at Albuquerque.
Reyes, in his seventh season in the Padres organization, is Minor League Baseball’s early season leader with 13 home runs. He has totaled the most bases in the PCL this season (84), while ranking among the league leaders in RBI (34, t-1st), extra-base hits (19, t-1st) and runs scored (29, t-1st).
The Dominican Republic native is a year removed from pacing the Double-A Texas League in home runs (25), extra-base hits (53) and total bases (235). In his 685-game career, he has hit .266 (686-for-2576) with 82 home runs and 417 RBI.
This is his third career Player of the Week award; the Chihuhuas are the first PCL team to have three consecutive Player of the Week recipients since the 2009 Las Vegas 51s (Kevin Howard, June 22-28; Joe Inglett, June 29-July 5; Jason Lane, July 6-12).
Also on Monday, New Orleans Baby Cakes right-hander Ben Meyer tossed a pair of quality starts and was named the PCL’s Pitcher of the Week.
In his first year at the highest level of the Minors, Meyer has posted the fourth-best ERA in the PCL to date (2.10; 34.1 IP, 8 ER). He has also held opponents to a .172 average (21-for-122) and sports a 0.84 WHIP, totals that both lead the league. This is his first career Pitcher of the Week award.
