The Southern League announced Monday that Tennessee Smokies outfielder Rubi Silva has been named the league’s Hitter of the Week for the time period between June 16-22. Silva becomes the third Smokies player this season to receive a weekly honor from the circuit after alum Kris Bryant and right-handed starting pitcher Corey Black, and also marks the third straight week the club has been represented with the league’s Hitter of the Week award.
The 24-year-old hit .467 (7-15) in four games in that time frame, adding three runs, a triple, two homers, four RBI and two steals. In that span, the outfielder led the league in total bases (15) and slugging percentage (1.000), in addition to tied for first in homers, second in hits and fourth in batting average. The pair of three-baggers also place Silva in a tie for first among all Minor Leaguers in that time frame.
Entering Monday’s slate of action, Silva has posted a .256 average (66-258), adding 25 runs, 12 doubles, four triples, six homers and 34 RBI in his 69 games with the Smokies in 2014, and also leads the club with seven outfield assists. The Cuba native has enjoyed a solid month of June thus far, tallying a .313 clip (21-67), scoring eight runs along with three doubles, three triples, two homers and nine RBI in 18 contests.
The outfielder was signed by the Chicago Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on December 15, 2010 and has played for the Smokies in parts of the last three seasons. In his Southern League career entering Monday’s action, Silva owns a .273 average (220-806), adding 42 doubles, 16 triples, 23 homers and 99 RBI, as well as 23 stolen bases in 215 total games.
Silva becomes the third Smokies player to receive a weekly honor from the Southern League, after Tennessee alum Kris Bryant won Hitter of the Week on three occasions, including each of the previous two weeks, as well as right-handed starting pitcher Corey Black. Black was honored for the time frame between April 21-28, while Bryant was recognized for his play between the spans of May 5-12, May 26 through June 2 and June 2-9. It is also the first time since at least through the 2009 season a team has had a player recognized as the Southern League’s Hitter or Pitcher of the Week in three consecutive weeks.
James Rowe
smokiesradio
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