In American Association Daily, the Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association name their Pitcher and Player of the Week for Week 13 of the 2019 American Association season. This week Gary Southshore RailCats outfielder Colin Willis was named the Player of the Week after hitting .524 in six games. Sioux City Explorers starter Carlos Sierra was named the Pitcher of the Week after blanking the Cleburne Railroaders for 7.1 innings.

Player of the Week – Week 13: Colin Willis, Gary Southshore RailCats

The Gary Southshore RailCats Colin Willis was named as the Player of the Week for Week 13. Willis hit .524 (11-21), tops in the American Association last week. The RailCats outfielder scored eight runs and drove in five others to go along with three doubles and two homers. Colin Willis had hits in all six games for Gary Southshore, including recording five straight games with two hits in each contest.

He began the week with a 6-11 performance against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Willis went 2-3 in the opening contest, then had back-to-back 2-4 nights. He scored one run in each game, adding an RBI in each of the first two contests, and two in the finale. He also homered in each of the final two games of that series.

The RailCats then traveled to St. Paul, where Willis went 5-10 in the series. He opened the series going 2-2 with three RBI, a walk, and was hit by a pitch twice. He then went 2-3 with a run before closing the series with a 1-5 performance that saw him score a run and drive in another.

Colin Willis posted an impressive .630 on-base percentage and a .952 slugging percentage. His on-base percentage led the league as did his OPS (1.582). Willis walked three times last week and was hit by a pitch three times.

Pitcher of the Week – Week 13: Carlos Sierra, Sioux City Explorers

Sioux City Explorers right-hander Carlos Sierra was named the Pitcher of the Week for Week 13 after being matched up in one of the best pitching duels of the season. Sierra tossed 7.1 scoreless innings in a contest the Cleburne Railroaders would eventually win in 11, 1-0.

Sierra would give up a hit to the first batter he faced, then retire the next 11 batters. That streak came to an end when he issued a leadoff walk in the fifth. He would give up a one out free pass in the sixth and a leadoff single in the seventh. In the eighth, the righty allowed a one-out double and his night was over. Sierra threw 107 pitches, 64 for strikes.

Carlos Sierra became the second Sioux City Explorers player to be named Pitcher of the Week, joining Taylor Jordan (Week 4). Teammate Nate Samson was named the Player of the Week in Week 5.

2019 Players of the Week

Week 12 – Victor Roache, Chicago Dogs
Week 11 – Tyler Hill, Winnipeg Goldeyes
Week 10 – Keon Barnum, Chicago Dogs
Week 9 – Josh Allen, St. Paul Saints
Week 8 – Max Murphy, Brady Shoemaker, St. Paul Saints
Week 7 – T. J. Bennett, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
Week 6 – Max Murphy, St. Paul Saints
Week 5 – Nate Samson, Sioux City Explorers
Week 4 – Tim Colwell, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
Week 3 – Victor Roache, Chicago Dogs
Week 2 – Tony Rosselli, Chicago Dogs
Week 1 – Zach Nehrir, Cleburne Railroaders

2019 Pitchers of the Week

Week 12 – Reese Gregory, Lincoln Saltdogs
Week 11 – Michael Tamburino, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
Week 10 – Kevin Hilton, Texas AirHogs
Week 9 – Luke Westphal, Chicago Dogs
Week 8 – Angel Ventura, Milwaukee Milkmen
Week 7 – Frank Carvallo, Gary Southshore RailCats
Week 6 – Bret Helton, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
Week 5 – Mitch Lambson, Winnipeg Goldeyes
Week 4 – Taylor Jordan, Sioux City Explorers
Week 3 – Eddie Medina, St. Paul Saints
Week 2 – Eddie Medina, St. Paul Saints
Week 1 – Jake Matthys, St. Paul Saints

Notes About Player/Pitcher of the Week Winners

The Player and Pitcher of the Week are chosen each week by the Minor League Sports Report’s Robert Pannier and by Kevin Luckow of the Tenth Inning Stretch. Honorees are chosen based upon statistics, quality of opponent, and importance in relation to overall performance of their own team.

By Robert Pannier