MADISON, AL – Rocket City Trash Pandas infielder Nick Rodriguez has been named the Southern League Player of the Week for July 7-12, Minor League Baseball announced Monday. Rodriguez is the first Trash Pandas player to earn Southern League Player of the Week honors this season and joins right-handed pitcher Nate Snead, who was named Southern League Pitcher of the Week on June 29, as the club's only weekly award winners in 2026.
Rodriguez earned the honor after batting .417 (10-for-24) with three doubles, one home run, six RBIs, six runs scored, and a 1.129 OPS while hitting safely in all six games against Chattanooga. During Rocket City's 12-game homestand, he batted .340 (17-for-50) with six multi-hit games, four doubles, one home run, 12 RBIs, and 12 runs scored.
The 24-year-old opened the Chattanooga series by driving in the tying run with his league-leading 21st double before homering in Thursday night's comeback attempt after breaking up the Lookouts' shutout bid. He followed with a three-hit, two-RBI performance in Friday's 7-5 victory and capped the week by extending his hitting streak to six games in Sunday's series finale.
The Southern League honor is the first weekly player award of Rodriguez's professional career and marks the first Southern League Player of the Week recognition for a Trash Pandas position player since Sam Brown, who earned the honor for the week of July 8-13, 2025.
On the season, Rodriguez leads the Southern League with 23 doubles, ranks tied for fifth with 81 hits, and is seventh with a .276 batting average. Since June 24, he has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games, batting .338 with a league-best 24 hits, six doubles, one home run, and 17 RBIs while serving as Rocket City's leadoff hitter.
The Angels selected the Tampa, FL native in the 10th round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Missouri State and became the first member of the club's 2025 draft class to reach Double-A.
The Trash Pandas are currently off for the All-Star break and return to action on Friday, July 17, opening a three-game road series against the Birmingham Barons. Rocket City returns home July 21-26 for a six-game series against the Knoxville Smokies at Toyota Field.
**ABOUT THE ROCKET CITY TRASH PANDAS
**Owned and operated by BallCorps, LLC, the Rocket City Trash Pandas are the proud Double-A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels in the Southern League. The Trash Pandas play at state-of-the-art TOYOTA Field in Madison, Alabama. The organization's mission is to unite our communities by creating positive and lasting memories one experience at a time.