Mills, Jeimer named Players of the Week

Fresh off a no-hitter against the Brewers on Sunday, Cubs right-hander Alec Mills was named the National League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet on Monday, alongside AL honoree Tigers first baseman Jeimer Candelario. It’s the first career Player of the Week Award for both players.

• All-time Player of the Week winners: AL | NL

Mills, a 28-year-old who was selected in the 22nd round of the 2012 MLB Draft, fired the 16th no-no in Cubs history on Sunday at Miller Park, silencing Milwaukee in a 114-pitch gem. Earlier in the week, Mills threw six scoreless innings against the Reds at Wrigley Field.

Along with his spotless ERA, the righty recorded a 0.67 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 15 innings across the two outings, winning both. He’s the second Cub to receive National League Player of the Week honors this season, joining fellow pitcher Kyle Hendricks.

Candelario, meanwhile, went 11-for-26 (.423) with three homers, four doubles, four walks, nine RBIs and a 1.423 OPS over eight games last week. He’s the first Tiger to win the American League Player of the Week Award since Nick Castellanos in 2018.

“He's hot, hotter than a firecracker," Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said on Thursday. "It's fun to watch when guys get like that and they seem to be seeing every pitch. He's taking pitches that are real close. He's taking them well and he's barreling up a lot of baseballs."