MLB Pipeline's Prospect Team of the Week honors the best performances from the previous seven days. Any Minor Leaguer currently on an organization Top 30 Prospects list on our Prospect Watch is eligible.
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The Pirates selected Ke'Bryan Hayes in the first round (32nd overall) and Kevin Kramer in the second round of the 2015 Draft, targeting both players because of their ability to swing the bat. Those talents were on display last week, when Hayes went 12-for-23 (.522) in Double-A and Kramer went 13-for-28 (.464) in Triple-A.
Their hot hitting earned both players spots on the final 2018 Prospect Team of the Week, giving Pittsburgh a total of 13 PTOW honorees for the season. That ties the Pirates with the Astros and Rays for the most among any organization this year.
2018 Prospect Teams of the Week
Five other farm systems reached double digits in PTOW accolades. The Blue Jays had 12, the Rockies and White Sox had 11 each, and the Indians and Padres had 10 apiece. At the other end of the spectrum, the Cubs came in last with just two.
Athletics shortstop Richie Martin and Padres catcher Francisco Mejia made the final PTOW, giving them three mentions this year -- trailing only Toronto third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who set a single-season record with five. White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease, Rays second baseman/outfielder Brandon Lowe, Orioles left-hander Zac Lowther, Brewers outfielder Corey Ray, Nationals outfielder Juan Soto and Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker also made three PTOWs in 2018.
MLB Pipeline will announce more honors later this week. We'll reveal our Minor League Hitter of the Year on Wednesday, our Pitcher of the Year on Thursday and our Prospect Team of the Year on Friday.
Below is the complete PTOW for games of Aug. 27 through Sept. 2:
C: Francisco Mejia, El Paso Chihuauhas (Triple-A)
(Padres No. 3 prospect/MLB No. 21)
.444/.450/1.111, 18 AB, 6 R, 8 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 6 SO
Mejia homered in three of his four games last week, including Sunday as part of a four-hit day. The best prospect traded during the season, he has batted .322/.359/.576 with seven homers in 30 Triple-A games since moving from the Indians to the Padres in the Brad Hand/Adam Cimber deal. He's hitting .291/.337/.468 with 14 homers in 109 Triple-A contests between the two organizations this year.
1B: Peter Alonso, Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)
(Mets No. 2 prospect/MLB No. 61)
.379/.419/.862, 7 G, 29 AB, 6 R, 11 H, 5 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 6 SO
A two-time 2018 PTOW honoree, Alonso started slowly in Triple-A after a mid-June promotion but homered 11 times in August, including thrice last week (and twice on Friday). With one day left in the season, he tops the Minors with 117 RBIs, is one shy of the home-run lead with 35 and is batting .283/.395/.575 in 131 games between Double-A and Triple-A.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Alonso goes yard - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2454081783

2B: Kevin Kramer, Indianapolis Indians (Triple-A)
(Pirates No. 7 prospect)
.464/.483/.679, 7 G, 28 AB, 4 R, 13 H, 3 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 8 SO
Kramer had five multi-hit games last week, including a 4-for-5 performance on Friday, as he wraps up his best pro season. He's batting .311/.365/.492 with 15 homers and 13 steals in 129 Triple-A games, placing second in the International League in slugging and third in hitting and OPS (.856).
3B: Ke'Bryan Hayes, Altoona Curve (Double-A)
(Pirates No. 2 prospect/MLB No. 52)
.522/.593/.565, 6 G, 23 AB, 5 R, 12 H, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SO, 3 SB
Hayes also is enjoying his best year as a pro, hitting .290/.371/.438 with 44 extra-base hits (seven homers) and 12 steals in 116 Double-A games at age 21. He went hitless in two of his first three games last week, then went on a 10-for-14 tear in the next three, including four-hit contests on Friday and Sunday.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Hayes doubles in two runs - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2461553483

SS: Richie Martin, Midland RockHounds (Double-A)
(Athletics No. 12 prospect)
.545/.565/1.045, 6 G, 22 AB, 8 R, 12 H, 4 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3 SB
Martin posted a 1.370 OPS to force his way on to the PTOW two weeks ago, then outdid himself with a 1.610 mark to become the seventh player this year to earn consecutive mentions. The others: Soto, Rockies outfielder Vince Fernandez, Guerrero, Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura, Brewers outfielder Corey Ray and Braves reliever Thomas Burrows (see below). Martin led all Minor Leaguers with a .545 average last week and is hitting .300/.368/.439 with 43 extra-base hits (six homers) and 25 steals in 118 Double-A games.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Martin's triple - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2458421283

OF: Will Benson, Lake County Captains (low Class A)
(Indians No. 22 prospect)
.360/.467/.880, 6 G, 25 AB, 6 R, 9 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 5 BB, 7 SO, 1 SB
A 2016 first-rounder (14th overall) making his full-season debut, Benson tied for the Minor League lead with four homers last week, including two on Saturday, and moved atop the Midwest League leaderboard with 22 overall. His .360 average in six games more than doubled his season mark, as he's hitting .179/.323/.370 in 122 low Class A games.
OF: Brewer Hicklen, Lexington Legends (low Class A)
(Royals No. 21 prospect)
.500/.600/1.100, 6 G, 20 AB, 7 R, 10 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1 SB
Hicklen topped all Minor Leaguers with a 1.600 OPS last week and all full-season hitters with a .600 on-base percentage while driving in at least one run in each of the six games he played. He's hitting .292/.359/.512 with 18 homers and 35 steals between two Class A stops in his first full pro season.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Hicklen homers - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2451898183

OF: D.J. Peters, Tulsa Drillers (Double-A)
(Dodgers No. 8 prospect)
.417/.440/1.000, 6 G, 24 AB, 6 R, 10 H, 2 2B, 4 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 11 SO
After going deep just once in his previous 17 games, Peters claimed a piece of the Minor League home-run lead last week with four blasts (two in the opener of a Wednesday doubleheader) and tops the Texas League with 28. The high Class A California League's MVP a year ago, he's hitting .234/.317/.465 in 131 Double-A contests.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Peters goes yard - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2456909883

LHP: David Peterson, St. Lucie Mets (high Class A)
(Mets No. 6 prospect)
1-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO, 0.40 WHIP
Peterson has won his last four high Class A starts without allowing an earned run and struck out nine of the 17 batters he faced on Saturday. For the year, he has a combined 7-10 record with a 3.16 ERA and a 115/30 K/BB ratio in 128 innings between two Class A levels.
RHP: Deivi Garcia, Tampa Tarpons (high Class A) & Trenton Thunder (Double-A)
(Yankees No. 12 prospect)
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 GS, 10 2/3 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 15 SO, 0.94 WHIP
Just 19, Garcia said goodbye to high Class A with 5 2/3 scoreless innings on Monday and hello to Double-A with five shutout frames on Sunday. He finished the year with a 5-4 record, 2.55 ERA, 105/20 K/BB ratio and .189 opponents' average in 74 innings between three levels.

MILB Video - Title: Watch:Garcia strikes out the side - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2462424083

RP: Thomas Burrows, Mississippi Braves (Double-A)
(Braves No. 20 prospect)
0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 G, 2 SV, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO, 0.33 WHIP
Burrows has authored eight straight scoreless outings in Double-A, including three last week to become the first reliever and only the third pitcher (after Lowther and Cease) to earn back-to-back PTOW honors in 2018. He has a 2.70 ERA and 10 saves this year between three levels, logging an 85/36 K/BB ratio and .198 opponents' average in 66 2/3 innings while seeing most of his action in high Class A.