Danny Collins and Barrett Barnes have both won player of the week awards in their respective leagues. Barnes was named the South Atlantic Player of the Week, while Collins was named the New York-Penn League Player of the Week.
Barnes hit .350 with two homers and nine RBIs in four games. The SAL had a shortened week due to the All-Star break. Barnes came up big in one game, homering twice, which fueled his chances of winning the award.
Collins started off his pro career hot, batting .370 with four homers in the first week of the NYPL season. Collins was drafted in the 13th round out of Troy as a first baseman. He was the top hitter in the Pirates’ minor league system last week for his performance. He also is one shy of the 2012 team lead of five homers in State College. The Pirates were with the Spikes up until this year, and have had some low home run totals. Last year Barrett Barnes and Jesus Vasquez split the lead with five each. The year before that Wes Freeman led the team with six. Matt Curry led the team in 2010 with seven. The last time the Pirates had someone hit double digit homers in the NYPL was when Brad Eldred hit 10 homers in 276 at-bats in 2002 with Williamsport.
That’s not uncommon. The NYPL is one of the most pitcher friendly leagues in the minors. It’s also a short-season league, so you’re not going to get many people posting double digit home run numbers. Last year there were only two hitters with double digit homers, both tied at ten. That’s not saying Collins will finish with ten, but it is showing how impressive it is that Collins already has four homers on the year.
