PAPILLION, NEB. – Minor League Baseball has announced the Pitcher and Player of the Week honors for each Player Development League, and Omaha Storm Chasers outfielder Gavin Cross was named the International League Player of the Week for his performance the week of July 20 to 26.
Cross went 12-for-27 (.444 average) at the plate during Omaha’s road series against the Salt Lake Bees. The outfielder connected for 2 doubles, 2 triples and 5 home runs for a Minor League-leading 33 total bases. He drove in a Triple-A best 10 runs and scored 9 runs in his six games against the Los Angeles Angels affiliate. Cross also added 3 stolen bases and 2 walks, recording multi-hit games in each of the first 5 games of the series.
Cross’ 5 home runs came in the final 5 games of the series in Utah, becoming the fourth full-season Minor League player in 2026 to homer in 5 consecutive games, but the first to do so in 5 consecutive days. He is also just the 3rd player in the modern era (2005-present) of the Triple-A Omaha franchise to homer in 5 consecutive games and the only one to do it in 5 consecutive days. His 33 total bases over the 6-game series are the most for an Omaha hitter since Minor League Baseball moved to the 6-game series scheduling in 2021, passing the 29 total bases Emmanuel Rivera recorded from June 15 to 20, 2021 vs. Louisville.
In his first Triple-A season, Cross is hitting .249 (79-for-317) with a .729 OPS through 90 games in 2026. He ranks tied for 3rd in the International League in triples (5) and tied for 7th in games played. In the month of July, Cross leads all Triple-A hitters and ranks 4th in the Minor Leagues with 59 total bases, ranking tied for 1st among qualified Triple-A hitters in OPS (1.131) and 2nd in slugging percentage (.738). Cross has hit safely in a career-best 18 straight games since June 2, the longest active streak in the Minors, a stretch where he’s batting .377 (29-for-77) with 15 extra-base hits and 19 RBI.
Originally selected by Kansas City in the 1st round (9th overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Virginia Tech, Cross made his Triple-A debut with Omaha on March 27, 2026. This marks Cross’ third career Player of the Week honor; he was the Midwest League Player of the Week for the week of May 21, 2023 with High-A Quad Cities and the Texas League Player of the Week for the week of August 31, 2025 with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Cross is the fourth Storm Chasers player to earn a weekly award this season after John Rave claimed International League Player of the Week for the week of April 6 to 12, Aaron Sanchez was named the IL Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 4 to 10 and Kameron Misner was the IL Player of the Week for the week of June 1 to 7.
Right-hander Brendan Beck of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple-A, New York Yankees) was named the International League Pitcher of the Week after tossing 6.1 scoreless innings with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts in his start on July 23 vs. Syracuse.