CJ Alexander, Josh Hendrickson sweep PCL weekly awards for Sugar Land

Sugar Land’s week in Salt Lake City ended with a sweep of the Pacific Coast League’s weekly honors, as CJ Alexander powered the offense and Josh Hendrickson supplied the kind of debut start that can steady a staff in a hurry. Alexander was named PCL Player of the Week after piling up 19 total bases, while Hendrickson earned Pitcher of the Week after throwing five shutout innings in a 2-1 win over Salt Lake.

Alexander’s numbers made the choice straightforward. In six games, he went 9-for-25 with a .360 batting average, a .429 on-base percentage, a .760 slugging percentage and a 1.189 OPS. He added a double, three home runs, six RBI, seven runs scored and three walks, tied for the league lead in hits and home runs, and tied for fourth in extra-base hits with four. His biggest night came Wednesday, April 15, when he went 3-for-6 and homered twice. It was the first regular-season Player of the Week honor of his career at any level, and his latest surge followed an Arizona Fall League Player of the Week nod in September 2023.

The award also marked a milestone for the Space Cowboys. Alexander became the seventh player in franchise history to win PCL Player of the Week and the first since Zach Cole was recognized for the week of Sept. 1-7, 2025. Originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 20th round in 2018 out of State College of Florida, Alexander signed with Houston as a minor league free agent on Feb. 17, 2026. For a club that has already shown it can produce at the top of the Pacific Coast League, his week reinforced how quickly Sugar Land can get impact from different corners of the roster.

Hendrickson’s honor came from a different kind of performance, but one that fit the same theme. Signed by Houston on Saturday after pitching for Team Australia in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the right-hander allowed only one baserunner against Salt Lake, a leadoff double in the second inning. He then retired the final 12 hitters in order, including five straight strikeouts between the third and fourth innings, and finished with five shutout innings on just 58 pitches, 40 for strikes. It was the first Pitcher of the Week award of his career.

The sweep was only the second in Sugar Land’s six PCL seasons, matching the club’s week of Sept. 19-24, 2024, when Ronel Blanco and Will Wagner split the honors. It also came on the heels of a championship run that made the standard clear: the Space Cowboys won the 2024 Pacific Coast League title with a 5-2 victory over Reno on Sept. 25, 2024. Sugar Land entered its April 21 home game against Round Rock at 13-8, with this latest award haul underscoring how much depth still runs through the roster.