NEW YORK -- The MLB Draft League announced that Williamsport’s Joe Sullivan and Mahoning Valley’s Elijah Pleasants were named Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for the period of June 26 to July 2.
Sullivan, 20, garners Hitter of the Week honors for a second straight week after batting .412 (7-for-17) with two home runs, two doubles, one triple and five RBIs in four games for the Crosscutters. The outfielder led the league in home runs (tied), total bases (17), slugging (1.000) and OPS (1.474), and finished tied for second in hits.
Sullivan hit safely in all four games for the Crosscutters last week. The outfielder began the period with a multi-extra-base-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and a walk against Frederick on June 26. He added another double the following day as part of a 1-for-4, two-RBI performance, then hit his second homer of the week and a triple while going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two steals in the June 28 series finale. The outfielder was 1-for-5 against Trenton on July 1.
Sullivan is batting .291/.429/.691 with four home runs, three triples, four doubles and 13 RBIs through 17 games with Williamsport. The Birmingham, Ala., native leads the MLB Draft League in home runs (tied) and slugging percentage (.691), ranks second in OPS (1.120) and third in total bases (tied-38). This past spring, Sullivan batted .304/.485/.591 with 13 home runs, 44 RBIs and 50 runs scored in 52 games as a South Alabama sophomore.
Pleasants, 23, takes home Pitcher of the Week honors after the right-hander worked five innings, allowing one earned run on one hit, in the Scrappers’ win over State College on July 2. He recorded six strikeouts against three walks, throwing 38 of 67 pitches for strikes in the outing. The start marked the second time this season that Pleasants has completed at least five innings, and he has now allowed one or fewer earned runs in three of his six appearances. Overall, Pleasants has compiled a 6.95 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 22 innings while making four starts for Mahoning Valley.
A Clarksville, Tenn., native, Pleasants made 13 starts for Trevecca Nazarene University this past spring, going 5-4 with a 4.36 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 76.1 innings. Before Trevecca Nazarene, Pleasants pitched for Dallas Baptist University (2022) and Tennessee (2019-21), and was a member of Mahoning Valley’s inaugural Draft League team in ‘21. He was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 36th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Rossview (Tenn.) High.
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