Massive Series Earns Fitzgerald PCL Player of the Week Honor

May 27, 2024 – Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sacramento River Cats News Release

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – An incredible week for Tyler Fitzgerald that saw the utility player crush six homers, drive in 13 RBI, and record a hit in all six games has resulted in a weekly honor as Fitzgerald was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for the week of May 20-26.

Playing in his first games back with Sacramento after spending the early part of the season on the big club with the San Francisco Giants, Fitzgerald reminded all why he was the River Cats’ 2023 Most Valuable Player by going 11-for-25 (.440) with 12 runs scored and two doubles in addition to his six homers and 13 RBI. All of that led to an eye-popping on-base percentage of .563, a 1.240 slugging percentage, and a 1.803 OPS.

The Springfield, Ill. native hit homers in each of his first three games, the first River Cat to do so this season. Both of those first two games were multi-homer contests, the fourth River Cat to hit multiple homers in consecutive games and the first since Jason Krizan did so from Aug. 29-30, 2021. His season debut saw the Louisville product tally three runs scored and five RBI, the 27th River Cat to reach those totals in the same game and the 19th to do so while hitting two home runs.

Even further, he scored three runs in each of his first three games played, the first River Cat to do so since Joey Rickard did so from Aug. 22-24, 2019. He is one of just two players in the PCL to do so this season along with Oklahoma City’s Drew Avans, who did so from April 23-25.

While it is the first such honor this season for Fitzgerald, it is the second in his Triple-A career as he was also named the PCL Player of the Week last season for the week of May 8-14, 2023. That came just after his first promotion to Triple-A, a week that saw Fitzgerald bat .435 (10-for-23) in six games with eight runs scored, three doubles, one triple, three homers, six RBI, five walks, three stolen bases and a 1.579 OPS (.536 on-base percentage).

Overall, this is the fourth Player of the Week honor in his career, as he was also named the NWL Player of the Week with the Eugene Emeralds (A+) on June 27, 2021 before being named the EAS Player of the Week with the Richmond Flying Squirrels (AA) on Aug. 21, 2022.

This is now the second weekly award for a River Cat this season, as Fitzgerald joins Mason Black who was named the PCL Pitcher of the Week on April 15 for his start against El Paso on April 12 when he threw five…