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Four Mets’ Farmhands Named Players of the Week

By Ryan Kolakowski

September 4, 2018 No comments

Photo by Jennifer Nieves, MMN

Four Mets minor leaguers were named the Players of the Week in their respective leagues.

Outfielders Yoel Romero, Jhoan Urena, and Patrick Kivlehan, and starting pitcher Drew Gagnon earned the honors for their play last week.

Romero, the Appalachian League Player of the Week, slashed .533/.563/.933 in three games for the Kingsport Mets. In 15 at-bats, Romero collected eight hits, including three doubles and a home run. He also drove in three runs and scored five times. Romero finished his 2018 campaign slashing .265/.368/.373 in 53 games for Kingsport.

Urena was named the Eastern League Player of the Week after batting .424 in 33 at-bats spanning seven games. In a matchup against the Hartford Yard Goats on August 27, Urena slugged three home runs, including two grand slams. Urena hit another home run the next day in Hartford, and he went on to compile a .818 slugging percentage for the week.

On September 1, Urena had a five-hit game against Portland. For the season, Urena slashed .261/.324/.418 in 123 games for Binghamton.

Kivlehan, one of the Pacific Coast League’s Players of the Week, crushed 10 extra-base-hits in eight games for the Las Vegas 51s. He slugged four home runs over that span and drove in 10 runs. Kivlehan, who started the year with the Louisville Bats, the triple-a affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, was picked up by the Mets organization in May.

He finished the season slashing .298/.359/.543 while hitting 20 home runs and driving in 71 runs.

Gagnon joined Kivlehan as the other Pacific Coast League Player of the Week after allowing one earned run over 16.2 innings in two starts.

On August 28, Gagnon tossed a complete game shutout for the 51s, allowing only two hits and striking out eight. Later in the week, he hurled 7.2 innings of one-run ball, surrendering eight hits and striking out four.

Gagnon, who was recalled to rejoin the Mets roster on September 3, has pitched to a 4.40 ERA across three levels this season.