Alonso, Arenado earn Player of the Week honors with epic finishes
It’s never too late to make a statement. A trio of perennial All-Stars proved that point during the final week of the 2026 regular season. Pete Alonso and Nolan Arenado went on offensive tears, finishing on resounding high notes to earn the year’s last Player of the Week Awards, while Ronald Acuña Jr. received Play of the Week honors for his spectacular warning-track grab on Saturday against the Marlins.
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New York seems to awaken something within the Polar Bear. After hitting his 300th career homer back at Citi Field on Sept. 15, Alonso needed just eight more games to notch No. 307 – a jaw-dropping 471 foot shot – in a two-homer performance at Yankee Stadium on Friday night. Over his last five games in Toronto and the Bronx, Alonso reached base in 11 of his 22 plate appearances, recording five homers, eight RBIs and eight runs scored. The effort earned the first baseman his second Player of the Week Award of the second half.
Even with the Orioles’ final game of the season cancelled due to inclement weather, Alonso outpaced Yordan Alvarez to lead the American League in homers (43) and RBIs (113). He previously led the National League in RBIs with the Mets in 2022 (131), making him the first player in Major League history to lead both leagues in RBIs. He also played in every one of his team’s games for a third consecutive season.
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The D-backs couldn’t complete their bid for the third NL Wild Card spot, but their veteran third baseman did just about everything he could to will them there. A game after hitting a go-ahead grand slam against the Yankees on Sept. 21, he finished a triple shy of the cycle at Coors Field on Tuesday to commence the ninth Player of the Week campaign of his career. Over the Snakes’ final six games in Colorado and San Diego, Arenado went 10-for-23 (.435) with three homers, two doubles and 5 RBIs.
With a two-run home run in San Diego on Friday, the 35-year-old notched his eighth 30-homer season and his first since 2022 with the Cardinals. The only players with more 30-homer seasons as primary third basemen are Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt (12) and Eddie Mathews (10).
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Acuña has a complicated history with the loanDepot park outfield. This March, he clinched a World Baseball Classic championship there with Team Venezuela; but in July 2021, the right fielder tore his right ACL while leaping for a ball near the fence, sidelining him for the remainder of the Braves’ World Series campaign. On Saturday afternoon, less than 72 hours before kicking off a run at another title, Acuña proved he truly has no fear of the Miami warning track.
With no outs and a runner on first in the opening frame, Marlins slugger Heriberto Hernández lofted a Brent Suter sinker the opposite way at 101.2 mph. Acuña darted to his right at 25.6 feet per second, leapt at the fence and went tumbling to the dirt with the ball secured, giving the Braves a loud first out of the game. (Hernández went on to record his 25th homer the next day, wisely pulling the ball to left field rather than testing Acuña again.)