Kyle Blanks Named PCL Player of the Week
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Pacific Coast League announced Monday that Round Rock Express first baseman Kyle Blanks has been named the league's Player of the Week for the week ending April 26. Starting pitcher Scott Baker of the Oklahoma City Dodgers was named PCL Pitcher of the Week.
Blanks had a slow start to his 2015 campaign, but found his rhythm towards the end of April with series against the Memphis Redbirds and Colorado Springs Sky Sox. The 6'7" first baseman is currently batting .327 on the season with three home runs and eight RBIs while playing in 15 games for Round Rock. Blanks is first on the Express in batting average, on-base percentage (.404) and OPS (1.036).
In his last ten games, Blanks has bolstered a .467 average (14-30) with 14 hits, three home runs, seven RBIs and five runs. The Express have won four in a row and eight of its last 10 in that time frame and have climbed to the top of the PCL's American Southern division with an 11-6 record.
Blanks joined the Rangers organization on December 15, 2014 as a free agent after stints with the Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres in 2014. He was drafted by the Padres in the 42nd round of the 2004 amateur draft and made his major league debut on June 19, 2009.
Blanks is the first Express player to win one of the league's weekly awards this season. The Player of the Week award is the second of his PCL career, with the previous coming in 2011 as a member of the Tucson Padres.
The E-Train plays game three against the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinal affiliate) in Memphis tonight at 7:05 p.m. The Express return to Dell Diamond for a four-game series with the Nashville Sounds (Oakland A's affiliate) on Thursday, April 30 before hitting the road again for an eight-game trip.
For more information on the Express, visit www.RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook and Twitter!