Pirates' Josh Bell, Red Sox's Rafael Devers named National, American League Player of the Month for May
First baseman Josh Bell of the Pittsburgh Pirates has been voted the National League Player of the Month, and third baseman Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox has been named the American League Player of the Month. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.
Bell earned his first career monthly award and is the first Pirates player to claim the NL Player of the Month Award since his former teammate Andrew McCutchen in June 2017. Devers was also awarded his first monthly honor and becomes the youngest Red Sox Player of the Month winner since the award was introduced in the American League in 1974.
Josh Bell, Pittsburgh Pirates (bell.josh19)
• Posted a slash line of .390/.442/.797 with 26 runs scored, 46 hits, 12 doubles, 12 home runs, 31 RBI and 11 walks across 29 games played.
• Josh’s 94 total bases during the month established a new franchise record, eclipsing the previous record of 92 held by Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner in June 1947. Became the first Major League player since Hall of Famer Willie Mays in 1958 (102) to post at least 94 total bases in the month of May.
• Became the third player in NL history to log at least 12 doubles and 12 home runs in a single calendar month, joining Hall of Famers Hank Aaron (July 1961) and Frank Robinson (July 1961).
• Recorded three multi-homer games in May, becoming the first Pirates player to accomplish the feat since Brian Giles in August 1999.
• Became the second player in franchise history to amass 24 extra-base hits in a single month, joining Hall of Famer Paul Waner, who did so in June 1927 and August 1928.
Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox (rafael.devers)
• Batted .351 (40-for-114) with 25 runs scored, seven doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 24 RBI and six walks over 26 games played.
• Posted a career-best 11-game hitting streak from May 19th-31st, slashing .380/.392/.780 with 11 runs scored, 19 hits, three doubles, five home runs and 10 RBI during his torrid stretch.
• Became the fourth player in franchise history to bat at least .350 with seven doubles and eight home runs in the month of May, joining his teammates Mookie Betts (2018) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (2016), as well as Nomar Garciaparra (1999).
• Became the sixth player in franchise history to homer in three consecutive games (May 20th-22nd) at the age of 22-or-younger, joining Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski, as well as Rico Petrocelli and Jim Tabor.
• Following his outstanding month, entered June as one of four players in the Majors with a batting average of .300-or-better with 30 RBI and five stolen bases (also: Cody Bellinger, Austin Meadows and Christian Yelich).
Others receiving votes for NL Player of the Month included All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado (.425, 25 R, 9 2B, 9 HR) of the Colorado Rockies; All-Star outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger (.390, 18 R, 7 2B, 6 HR) of the Los Angeles Dodgers; and second baseman/outfielder Derek Dietrich (.304, 16 R, 12 HR, 22 RBI) of the Cincinnati Reds.
Others receiving votes for AL Player of the Month included All-Stars Michael Brantley (.327, 13 R, 14 XBH, 18 RBI), Alex Bregman (.260, 23 R, 12 HR, 24 RBI) and George Springer (.368, 20 R, 8 HR, 19 RBI) of the Houston Astros; All-Star outfielder Mike Trout (.275, 20 R, 9 2B, 7 HR) of the Los Angeles Angels; outfielder Austin Meadows (.356, 15 R, 11 XBH, 16 RBI) of the Tampa Bay Rays; shortstop Jorge Polanco (.355, 21 R, 39 H, 15 XBH) and outfielder Eddie Rosario (.313, 19 R, 6 HR, 25 RBI) of the Minnesota Twins; and outfielder Hunter Pence (.299, 17 R, 7 2B, 8 HR) of the Texas Rangers.