Washington Nationals Minor League Players Of The Week: (7/13-7/19)
By Ricky Keeler
(Photo Credit: Grading On The Curve)
Auburn Doubledays (12-16)
Hitter Of The Week: OF Rhett Wiseman (.306, 3 HR, 9 RBI’s)
Wiseman was the Nationals’ third round pick in this year’s draft out of Vanderbilt University. Today. Wiseman was named hitter of the week in the New-York Penn League. In 25 at-bats this week, he had nine hits, including two home runs, and drove in seven runs.
The 21-year-old’s best performance of the week came on July 17 against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Cleveland Indians). In that game, Wiseman went 2-for-3 and had a three-run homer in the top of the first inning in Auburn’s 6-3 rain-shortened win. In ten games with Auburn, Wiseman has a .422 on-base percentage.
Honorable Mention: OF Andrew Stevenson (.361, 0 HR, 9 RBI’s)
While one of the Nats’ second round picks in this year’s draft has not played in a game since July 17, Stevenson still had a good week in the games that he did play in. He went 7-for-15 at the plate with three RBI’s. He had an RBI in all three games of Auburn’s series against Mahoning Valley.
His best game of the week occurred on July 13 against the Staten Island Yankees. In that game, he went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double. The 21-year-old has recorded at least one hit in 16 out of the 18 games he has played in and is currently on a 13-game hit streak.
Pitcher Of The Week: SP Taylor Hearn (1-0, 3.00)
The Nationals took the 20-year-old in the fifth round of this year’s draft. In his lone start of the week against Mahoning Valley on July 15, the right-hander went five innings, gave up one run on three hits, struck out five, and walked one to get his first professional victory.
Hearn made two starts in the Gulf Coast League before making his debut for the Doubledays on July 8. He has yet to give up more than two earned runs in any of his starts this season.
Honorable Mention: SP Erick Fedde (2-1, 2.45)
Fedde made his lone start of the week against the West Virginia Black Bears (Pittsburgh Pirates) on July 18. In Game one of a doubleheader, he went five innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, struck out seven, and walked one. The Nats’ first round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft has walked only one batter in his last four starts and has struck out 19 batters in his last three strikes.
In five starts with the Doubledays, the 22-year-old right-hander has 28 strikeouts to just four walks in 22 innings of work. Now that Fedde is completely healthy, he has been able to throw 83 pitches in a start (against West Virginia Sunday) and has thrown five innings in each of his last three outings.