Shortstop Nick Ahmed of the Arizona Diamondbacks has been named the W.B. Mason National League Player of the Week and third baseman Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox has been chosen the W.B. Mason American League Player of the Week. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.
Devers earned his first career AL Player of the Week Award and is the first Red Sox winner since his All-Star teammate J.D. Martinez for the period ending August 13, 2018. Ahmed also claimed his first career NL Player of the Week Award and is the second D-backs player to take home weekly honors this season, following his teammate Eduardo Escobar for the week ending April 29th.
In recognition of their Player of the Week Awards, Nick Ahmed and Rafael Devers will each be awarded a specially engraved watch courtesy of Artinian.
Nick Ahmed, Arizona Diamondbacks (@nickahmed13)
Across seven games, batted .423 (11-for-26) with five runs scored, two doubles, a triple, four home runs, 11 RBI, 27 total bases and a 1.038 slugging percentage.
Clubbed his 16th home run of the season on Saturday, which matched his career high from last year. His 16 round-trippers are currently tied for third-most in a season by a Diamondbacks shortstop, trailing Stephen Drew (21, 2008) and Jay Bell (18, 1998).
Homered in three consecutive games from August 11th-13th for the first time in his career. Also logged multiple RBI in the three aforementioned contests, becoming the first D-backs player to do so since his former teammate Paul Goldschmidt last year (June 6th-10th).
Has posted his best month of the 2019 season thus far in August. Enters action today with a .352/.426/.778 slash line to go along with 12 runs scored, 19 hits, three doubles, six home runs and 16 RBI over 16 games since the calendar flipped to August.
Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox (@rafael.devers)
Posted a slash line of .593/.633/1.185 with seven runs scored, 16 hits, seven doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI, three walks and 32 total bases over six games played.
On Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians, became the first player in Major League history to log four doubles in a six-hit performance. Became the fifth player in franchise history to collect six hits in a single game, and the first since Nomar Garciaparra on June 21, 2013.
Followed his historic performance by logging two consecutive hits, including his 25th home run of the season, in his first two at-bats on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, became the first Red Sox slugger to amass eight consecutive hits since Pinky Higgins on June 21, 1938.
Finished his outstanding week with a four-hit performance yesterday, including a pair of doubles and one home run. Following the outing, became the first Major League player to post at least 100 runs scored and 100 RBI in a season before the age of 23 since Miguel Cabrera in 2005. The only other Red Sox player to accomplish the feat was Hall of Famer Ted Williams (1939-40).
Enters play today with an MLB-best 76 extra-base hits on the season. Is on pace to become the sixth player in MLB history to bat .330-or-better with at least 76 extra-base hits, 100 runs scored and 100 RBI in a season while younger than 23 years old, joining Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx (1930), Joe DiMaggio (1939) and Williams (1940), as well as Hal Trosky (1934) and Alex Rodriguez (1996).
Other noteworthy AL performances last week included All-Star second baseman Gleyber Torres (.323, 10 R, 6 HR, 11 RBI) and third baseman Gio Urshela (.457, 6 R, 16 H, 5 RBI) of the New York Yankees; All-Stars Michael Brantley (.519, 7 R, 14 H, 5 2B), Alex Bregman (.400, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI) and Zack Greinke (2-0, 2.08 ERA, 13.0 IP, 12 SO) of the Houston Astros; third baseman Kyle Seager (.375, 7 R, 5 HR, 11 RBI) of the Seattle Mariners; All-Star third baseman Matt Chapman (.417, 8 R, 3 2B, 4 HR) of the Oakland Athletics; third baseman José Ramírez (.348, 2 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBI) and All-Star first baseman Carlos Santana (.462, 9 R, 4 HR, 8 RBI) of the Indians; and All-Star backstop James McCann (.435, 7 R, 5 XBH, 11 RBI) of the Chicago White Sox.
Other noteworthy NL performances were All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso (.480, 12 H, 4 XBH, 10 RBI), who established a new NL rookie record with his 40th home run of the season yesterday, and shortstop Amed Rosario (.483, 6 R, 14 H, 3 2B) of the New York Mets; starting pitcher José Quintana (1-0, 0.69 ERA, 13.0 IP, 21 SO) of the Chicago Cubs; All-Star backstop J.T. Realmuto (.417, 4 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI) of the Philadelphia Phillies; outfielder Adam Eaton (.450, 3 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI) of the Washington Nationals; second baseman Luis Urías (.350, 7 H, 3 XBH, 9 RBI) and All-Star closer Kirby Yates (4 G, 0.00 ERA, 2 SV, 6 SO) of the San Diego Padres; outfielders Kevin Pillar (.458, 6 R, 4 XBH, 6 RBI) and Mike Yastrzemski (.381, 5 R, 4 HR, 7 RBI) of the San Francisco Giants; backstop Will Smith (.385, 7 R, 3 HR, 5 RBI) and third baseman Justin Turner (.333, 8 R, 2 HR, 9 RBI) of the Los Angeles Dodgers; and Nick’s teammate Wilmer Flores (.600, 12 H, 4 HR, 7 RBI).
