Pittsburgh's Bryan Reynolds, Toronto's Matt Chapman named Players of the Week presented by Chevrolet

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds has been selected the National League Player of the Wee**k presented by Chevrolet, and Toronto Blue Jays third baseman **Matt Chapman has been named the American League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.

Reynolds, currently in his fifth Major League season, earned his first career Player of the Week Award, and is the first Pirates player to take home the honor since Adam Frazier on July 8, 2019. Chapman, a seven-year Major League veteran, also earns his first career weekly honor and is the first Blue Jays player to win since his teammate Bo Bichette last season on September 12^th.

Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates (@bryan_reynolds20)

• The 28-year-old hit .480 (12-for-25) with two doubles, one triple, four home runs, 12 RBI, two stolen bases and nine runs scored to go along with a 1.120 slugging percentage and .464 on-base percentage.
• Reynolds paced NL hitters in RBI, slugging, runs, hits and total bases (28), tied for first in home runs and ranked second in batting average.
• The 2021 All-Star has hit safely in all nine of his games played in 2023, including a trio of three-hit games last week on Monday and Tuesday at Boston, as well as Friday against the Chicago White Sox at home.
• The Vanderbilt University product drove in at least one run in six straight contests from Sunday, April 2^nd through Saturday, April 8^th, highlighted by a career-high-tying six-RBI performance on Friday night against the White Sox. The six-game RBI streak was the longest by a Pirates hitter within a single season since Starling Marte also had six straight in September 2015.
• A second round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft (by San Francisco), Reynolds, who was acquired by the Pirates in the 2018 trade that sent his current teammate Andrew McCutchen to San Francisco, slugged five homers across a five-game stretch from Sunday, April 2^nd-Friday, April 7^th.

Matt Chapman, Toronto Blue Jays (@mattchap6)

• The 29-year-old batted .464 (13-for-28) with five doubles, two homers, 12 RBI, one stolen base and five runs scored along with an .857 slugging percentage and a .516 on-base percentage.
• The three-time Gold Glove Award winner led AL hitters in RBI and total bases (24), tied for first in doubles, ranked second in batting average and hits, placed third in slugging and was fifth in on-base percentage.
• The 2019 All-Star, who leads the Majors with 19 hits and a .475 batting average on the season, hit safely in each of his seven games last week and enters play today with an eight-game hitting streak.
• Chapman registered at least two RBI in four of his last five games and drove in runs in five of his seven games last week overall.
• In a homecoming of sorts, the Cal State Fullerton product and California native went 3-for-5 with a grand slam in Toronto’s 10-inning, 12-11 comeback win over the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim yesterday afternoon.

Other noteworthy NL performances last week included starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (2-0, 0.75 ERA, 12.0 IP, 6 H, 6 BB, 14 SO) and infielder/outfielder Brian Anderson (.368, 1 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, .478 OBP) of the Milwaukee Brewers; designated hitter Nelson Cruz (.538, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 3 R, 1.154 SLG, .571 OBP) of the San Diego Padres; first baseman Freddie Freeman (.478, 4 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 7 R, .556 OBP) and outfielder Jason Heyward (.400, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 1.300 SLG) of the Los Angeles Dodgers; starting pitcher Nick Lodolo (0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 12 SO) of the Cincinnati Reds; starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo (1.29 ERA, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 10 SO) of the Miami Marlins; outfielder Michael Conforto (.333, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R, .500 OBP) and starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani (1-0, 0.73 ERA, 12.1 IP, 6 H, 0 BB, 11 SO) of the San Francisco Giants; first baseman Pete Alonso (.250, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, .750 SLG); and Reynolds’ teammate David Bednar (0.00 ERA, 3 SV, 3.0 IP, 5 SO) of the Pirates.

Other noteworthy AL performances for the week included starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13.0 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 15 SO), designated hitter/outfielder Harold Ramírez (.353, 1 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, .941 SLG) and outfielder Luke Raley (.300, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 1.200 SLG, .467 OBP) of the undefeated Tampa Bay Rays; outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (.455, 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R, .955 SLG, .455 OBP) of the White Sox; closer Clay Holmes (0.00 ERA, 4 G, 3 SV, 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 7 SO) and starting pitcher Nestor Cortes (2-0, 2.61 ERA, 10.1 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 8 SO) of the New York Yankees; outfielder Mike Trout (.350, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, .536 OBP) of the Angels; outfielder Adam Duvall (.368, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, .455 OBP) of the Boston Red Sox; and Chapman’s teammates Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.484, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 15 H, 8 R, 1 SB, .529 OBP) and Bo Bichette (.333, 1 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, .636 SLG) of the Blue Jays.

Electric Play of the Week presented by Chevrolet

Stellar Catch by Will Benson of the Cincinnati Reds

April 4^th at Great American Ball Park – Watch It Here

Outfielder Will Benson of the Cincinnati Reds earned his first career Play of the Week Award, and just the second overall by a Reds player since the honor was introduced in 2019. Benson joins Yasiel Puig, who claimed Cincinnati’s only other Play of the Week honor on May 19, 2019. With the Reds leading the visiting Chicago Cubs, 2-1, in the top of the fourth inning at Great American Ball Park last Tuesday night, Benson raced into foul territory to make a leaping grab over the wall. Additional Play of the Week candidates included Bobby Witt Jr.’s diving over the shoulder grab; Ji Hwan Bae’s leaping catch up against the monster at Fenway Park; Luis Castillo’s no-look around the back snag; Gio Urshela’s long throw across the diamond; Jake McCarthy’s catch and flip over the wall in foul territory; and Myles Straw’s jumping catch up against the center field wall.