The Minor League Sports Report has named their Pecos League Player and Pitcher of the Week for Week 4. Houston Apollos outfielder Yale Hughes was named as the top pitcher while Tucson Saguaros LHP Ryan Porras was named as the Pitcher of the Week.

Player of the Week: Yale Hughes, Houston Apollos

It was a tropical storm shortened week in the Pecos League as Hanna led to the cancelation of Saturday’s games, but the bad weather did not dampen the performance of Houston Apollos outfielder Yale Hughes, who was named as the Player of the Week by the Minor League Sports Report.

Hughes appeared in all three games for the Apollos, going 6-12 (.500) with four runs scored and six RBI. He also walked four times, posting a .625 on-base percentage, homered once, and stole a base.

Hughes began the week with a 2-5 performance, helping lead the team to 7-6 comeback victory over the Roswell Invaders. The outfielder hit his first homer of the season and stole a base in the contest.

The next day, the outfielder helped the Apollos bury the Salina Stockade, 14-3. Hughes went 2-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. He also walked twice.

The next day he went 2-3 with two RBI and two walks in a 7-4 extra inning loss to the Tucson Saquaros. The Apollos rallied for a run in the eighth and two in the ninth to tie the score, and Hughes drew a walk in each of those frames, including in the ninth when he drove home the tying run.

Hughes is the first Houston Apollos player to earn Player of the Week honors. Starter Kyle Atkinson was named as Pitcher of the Week in Week 2.

Pitcher of the Week: Ryan Porras, Tucson Saguaros

Ryan Porras was named the Pitcher of the Week after an absolutely brilliant performance in his first start of the season. The left-hander allowed just two hits, three walks, and a run in 7.0 innings pitched, striking out six. He did not earn the decision, but the Saguaros did win the contest in 11, 6-2.

Porras had a no-hitter through the first three innings, as a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third was the only blemish. In the fourth, he gave up his only hits of the game, a leadoff double to Ian Yetsko, who would later come around to score on a single by Darryl Donerson.

In his final three innings of work, the lefty allowed a walk and hit a batter as the only other Invaders’ players to reach base.

The outing lowered his ERA to 0.67, tops in the Pecos League. He is the first Saguaros pitcher to receive a top weekly honor this season, although, Thomas DeBonville (Week 1) and Nathan Etheridge (Week 3) have earned Player of the Week honors.

2020 Players of the Week:

Week 1 – Thomas DeBonville, Tucson Saguaros
Week 2 – Aaron Takacs, Salina Stockade
Week 3 – Nathan Etheridge, Tucson Saguaros

2020 Pitchers of the Week:

Week 1 – Jacob Williams, Salina Stockade
Week 2 – Kyle Atkinson, Houston Apollos
Week 3 – Ben Butler, Salinas Stockade

By Robert Pannier