Vargas, Cronenworth come up big to win Player of the Week honors
With their teams fighting for postseason berths, Miguel Vargas of the White Sox and Jake Cronenworth of the Padres each picked a great time to earn their second career MLB Player of the Week Awards.
This browser does not support the video element.
Vargas, who nabbed his first Player of the Week trophy last May, was simply building upon what has already been a career year for the 26-year-old All-Star.
After going 8-for-23 (.348) with a double, three homers, nine RBIs and two steals this past week as the White Sox won four of seven games to enter the final seven days of the season just a game back of the Guardians in the AL Central Division race, the Cuban slugger has hit .251/.362/.482 with 101 runs scored, 31 doubles, a triple, 33 homers, 88 RBIs and 20 steals to go along with a 5.3 WAR and 135 OPS+. He's already joined Magglio Ordonez (2001) and Luis Robert Jr. (2023) as the only three hitters in White Sox history with 30 homers and 20 steals in a season.
Vargas' ability to do it all was on full display Saturday vs. the Tigers, when he homered, stole a base and made an outstanding defensive play at third base in a crucial win.
This browser does not support the video element.
Cronenworth, who last won a Player of the Week Award on June 26, 2021, has mostly struggled at the plate this season, but he's getting hot when his team needs him the most.
After entering last week with a .581 OPS, the 32-year-old went 13-for-28 (.464) with a double, a triple, two homers, eight RBIs, eight runs scored and two steals as the Padres won six of seven games to put themselves on the verge of earning a playoff berth, and now with the top NL Wild Card spot still very much in their sights.
The two-time All-Star saved his best for last, going 3-for-4 with a double, two homers and five RBIs on Sunday to help complete a three-game sweep of the Marlins at home.
It's the second straight NL Player of the Week Award for San Diego after Jackson Merrill took home the honors on Sept. 14.
This browser does not support the video element.
This week's Play of the Week comes from an unlikely source, if only because Pirates veteran Ryan O'Hearn has made only 35 of his 97 starts this season at first base, where he pulled a slick play Saturday that will undoubtedly be shown for years to come.
Forced to go far to his right to field a sacrifice bunt, the left-handed-throwing O'Hearn had his back turned to the bag when in one quick motion he fielded the ball with his glove and scooped it between his legs to pitcher Brandon Eisert covering for the out.
"I thought we were watching the Savannah Bananas for a second on that play," said longtime Pirates broadcaster Bob Walk.
How did O'Hearn make this difficult trick play look so easy? Believe it or, he practices the move every day before games.
“You never know when you might need it in the game,” O’Hearn told MLB.com.