July 12, 2011 at 7:02 PM
Players of the Week, 7/4-7/10: Will Middlebrooks & Raul Alcantara
This week's SoxProspects.com Player and Pitcher of the Week were selected for their fireworks on the field during this past holiday week. Portland's Will Middlebrooks won Player of the Week honors by a razor thin margin, while Gulf Coast League hurler Raul Alcantara garnered two-thirds of the community vote.Middlebrooks, in the midst of a breakout season for the Sea Dogs, hit .520/.556/.720 with a home run, 2 doubles, 8 runs scored and 8 RBI last week. The 22-year-old third baseman also appeared in the Futures Game on Sunday, going 1 for 2 with a single. In 2011, Middlebrooks has hit .315/.359/.498 with 9 home runs and 43 RBI in 63 games for Portland.
Alcantara, 18, is in his second professional season as a member of the Boston organization. The 2010 Red Sox Minor League Latin Program Player of the Year, Alcantara has yet to allow a run and has only yielded 2 hits in 16.0 innings (3 starts) so far this season. The right-hander's lone start of the week came on Tuesday against the GCL Orioles (BAL). In 6.0 innings of work, Alcantara allowed no hits and 1 walk while striking out 5.
Honorable mention: Chih-Hsien Chiang, who lost to his Portland teammate Middlebrooks by three votes in Player of the Week voting. Chiang hit .520/.556/.760 with 6 doubles, 7 runs scored and 6 RBI in 25 at-bats last week. The 23-year-old outfielder also joined his teammate Middlebrooks in the Futures Game, going 0 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.