Washington Nationals Minor League Players Of The Week: (7/13-7/19)
By Ricky Keeler
(Photo Credit: MILB.com)
Harrisburg Senators (48-47)
Hitter Of The Week: 2B Cutter Dykstra (.253, 4 HR, 15 RBI’s)
The son of Lenny Dykstra had one of the best performances of his minor league career on Saturday night against the Bowie Bay Sox (Baltimore Orioles). He went 3-for-6 at the plate with one home run and six RBI’s. That home run was a three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning during Harrisburg’s 11-7 win.
The 26-year-old second baseman has been with both double-A Harrisburg and triple-A Syracuse this season. While he has struggled at times, Dykstra is hitting .259 in 16 games this month with three home runs and 13 RBI’s. Dysktra also hit a home run the day before the All-Star Brea (July 13) against the Erie Sea Wolves (Detroit Tigers).
Honorable Mention: CF Brian Goodwin (.241, 5 HR, 30 RBI’s)
While Dysktra had six RBI’s on Saturday for the Senators, Brian Goodwin’s performance should not be overlooked either. On Saturday, the 24-year-old center fielder went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and three RBI’s.
Goodwin was 6-for-21 at the plate with those two home runs five RBI’s. He has a player we have talked about a lot this month and for good reason. After hitting two home runs over the first three months of the season, Goodwin is hitting .250 this month with three homers, eight RBI’s, and a .431 slugging percentage.
Pitcher Of The Week: RP Abel De Los Santos (4-4, 2.65)
De Los Santos deserves pitcher of the week after his reported promotion to the big league club. The 22-year-old right-hander made two appearances this week, giving up one hit over four innings, and striking out three. On Saturday, he got the win in extra innings after pitching the 10th and 11th in Harrisburg’s 4-1 win over Bowie.
As I mentioned in the first slide, De Los Santos has found his form over the last nine relief outings as he has not given up a single earned run. In June, he was 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA in six games. He has shown great control for the Senators as he has walked seven batters in 37.1 innings. The Nationals have seen young relievers come up this season and give a solid contribution such as Felipe Rivero and Rafael Martin. Can De Los Santos be the next?
Honorable Mention: SP Austin Voth (4-5, 3.08)
The Eastern League All-Star had a good performance going into the All-Star Break when he took on the Erie Seawolves on July 13. He went seven innings, gave up one run on five hits, struck out eight, and walked one. Over his last 14 innings, the 23-year-old right-hander has given up one run on seven hits, and has struck out 15 batters. In three starts during the month of July, Voth went 1-0 with a 0.45 ERA. He is scheduled to make his next start tonight against the New Hampshire Fishercats (Toronto Blue Jays) at 7:05 PM ET.
Next: High-A