Last week was the busiest week of the season for Dodgers minor league players getting honored, with four different players on Monday named either player of the week or pitcher of the week for their leagues, one at all four affiliate levels.
James Tibbs III was named Pacific Coast League player of the week in Triple-A, Josue De Paula did the same in Double-A in the Texas League, and Ontario outfielder Jaron Elkins won California League player of the week in Class-A. Joining them is pitcher Alex Makarewich, taking home Midwest League pitcher of the week for High-A Great Lakes.
Tibbs put on a power show last week in Sugar Land, Texas, with six home runs and 16 RBI in six games. The Oklahoma City designated hitter had nine hits in 26 at-bats plus two walks, hitting .346/.414/1.038, highlighted by two home runs and six RBI on Thursday night.
Tibbs on the season is hitting .322/.426/.659, and leads the PCL in home runs (17), RBI (51), runs scored (55), slugging percentage, OPS (1.085), extra-base hits (35), and total bases (139).
De Paula had the best power-hitting month of his career and will likely win Texas League player of the month later this week. But for now the Tulsa right fielder can celebrate his weekly honors, after going 12 for 24 in six games against Northwest Arkansas, hitting .500/.538/1.000 with six doubles, two home runs, 11 runs scored, and six RBI.
It’s rare for a reliever to win pitcher of the week, but Makarewich stood out in his two relief appearances for Great Lakes last week. He totaled three scoreless, hitless innings, allowing only a walk, and struck out eight of his 10 batters faced.
Elkins only played in four games last week for Ontario after missing two weeks on the injured list, but made them count, including a home run in each of his last three games. The outfielder had eight hits in 19 at-bats last week, hitting .421/.476/1.105 with eight RBI, seven runs scored, and two total bases.
Elkins’ best game of the week was the game in which he didn’t homer. On Wednesday he had four hits, including two doubles and a triple, with three runs batted in.