Genord Named NYPL Hitter of the Week

On Opening Day, in his second at-bat as a pro, Joe Genord drilled a 412-foot home run. It was the first hit by any of the more than 1,200 selections in last month’s MLB Draft.

In his post-game press conference that night, Genord’s new manager, a former MLB All-Star, compared Genord’s approach at the plate to that of Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who just spent the last two days winning the Home Run Derby and playing his first MLB All-Star Game.

And yet, that was only the beginning.

The Cyclones first baseman was named the New York-Penn League’s Hitter of the Week on Monday, the latest milestone in Genord’s impressive first month of professional baseball.

Over the first week of July, the Mets’ 9th-round pick out of South Florida batted .333 (9-for-27) with two home runs, three doubles, and 11 RBIs.

Genord has delivered some of Brooklyn’s most clutch hits of the season, two of which came on back-to-back nights during that stretch.

In a game at Hudson Valley on July 2, the Boca Raton, Fla. native blasted a three-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Cyclones their first lead of the night. And when the Renegades drew within a run, Genord added insurance in the eighth inning, cracking a two-run double en route to a 7–4 win.

The following night, Hudson Valley scored the first four runs, but Genord orchestrated some more late-game magic. In the eighth inning, he hit an RBI double and later scored as part of a game-tying rally. Even after the Renegades reclaimed the lead a half-inning later, Brooklyn’s first baseman answered. In the ninth, the slugger crushed a three-run home run, his second dinger in as many nights, to put the Cyclones back in front for good and secure the series-clinching win.

Those pivotal extra-base hits are a big reason why Genord leads the league with five home runs, 18 RBIs, a .581 slugging percentage, and a .938 OPS. The 22-year-old also ranks eighth in the NYPL with a .297 batting average.

Genord has racked up the gaudy numbers and lofty comparisons over his first month of professional baseball. Now, he has his first weekly award to go with it.

— Dom

Today’s Game: Brooklyn vs. Mahoning Valley, 7 p.m.
MCU Park, Brooklyn, NY
Probables: RHP Frank Valentino (0–1, 4.35) vs. RHP Jhonneyver Gutierrez (1–2, 5.02)
Video: Facebook.com/BrooklynCyclones
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Tickets: BrooklynCyclones.com/tickets