Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox named American League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet; Juan Soto of the San Diego Padres named National League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet

Boston Red Sox infielder Rafael Devers has been selected the American L**eague Player of the Wee**k presented by Chevrolet, and outfielder Juan Soto of the San Diego Padres has been named the National League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.

Devers earned his second career selection after previously winning on August 19, 2019. He is the third Red Sox player to win weekly honors this season, joining Adam Duvall (April 3^rd and August 28^th) and Masataka Yoshida (May 8^th). Overall, the Red Sox have 143 Player of the Week Awards, the most of any franchise since 1973. Soto earned his second career selection after previously taking home weekly honors on August 17, 2020, while with the Washington Nationals. He joins Manny Machado, who won on July 10^th, as the Padres winners this season.

Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox (@rafael.devers)

• The 26-year-old hit .400 (8-for-20) with four home runs, five RBI, seven walks, five runs scored, a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .586 on-base percentage in seven games last week.
• The Dominican Republic native led Major League hitters in OBP and OPS (1.586); tied for the big league lead in slugging; led AL hitters in home runs; ranked second among AL hitters in walks and total bases; and ranked fourth in batting average.
• The two-time All-Star reached base in six of his seven games, with hits in five of the contests. In his final seven plate appearances of the week, Devers was not retired, reaching base on four walks (two intentional), a hit-by-pitch, a single and a homer.
• On Saturday, Devers became the first Red Sox player since Jackie Bradley Jr. in 2019 to record two intentional walks in a game. The Red Sox third baseman has two such games in his career after previously drawing two intentional walks on April 5, 2018.
• The 2018 World Series Champion recorded a home run and two walks on both Saturday and Sunday at Toronto. Devers’ homer on Saturday broke a scoreless-tie in the sixth inning and his ninth inning two-out home run on Sunday tied the game 2-2 before the Blue Jays came back to win in the bottom of the ninth.

Juan Soto, San Diego Padres (juansoto_25)

• The 24-year-old hit .458 (11-for-24) with four home runs, 13 RBI, one double, three walks, nine runs, two stolen bases, a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage in six games last week.
• The Dominican Republic native led Major League hitters in batting average, RBI, and runs; tied for the Major League lead in slugging; led NL batters in OPS (1.500); tied for the NL lead in on-base percentage and home runs; tied for second in hits (11); ranked third in total bases (24) and tied for third in extra-base hits (5).
• The 2022 T-Mobile Home Run Derby winner slugged two home runs on Sunday at Oakland, including his first career grand slam. He finished the day with a career-high six RBI in his 16^th career multi-homer game.
• The three-time All-Star recorded a hit in every game and had multiple hits in three of his six games last week. On Monday at Dodger Stadium, he drove home four runs and hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the ninth inning.
• Soto has reached base in 21 straight games, boasting a .320/.441/.667 slash line during the stretch with eight homers and 22 RBI.

Other noteworthy AL performances for the week included the Orioles’ rookie tandem of Gunnar Henderson (.323, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB, 7 R, .710 SLG) and Grayson Rodriguez (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 8.0 IP, 7 SO) of the Baltimore Orioles; first baseman/designated hitter Josh Naylor (.423, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 2B, 1 BB, 6 R, .615 SLG) and starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 12 SO) of the Cleveland Guardians; shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (.450, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 6 R, 6 SB, .600 SLG, .500 OBP) and second baseman Michael Massey (.353, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, .882 SLG) of the Kansas City Royals; outfielder Robbie Grossman (.409, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB, 5 R, 1 SB, .682 SLG, .517 OBP) and shortstop Corey Seager (.357, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 2B, 3 BB, 7 R, .643 SLG) of the Texas Rangers; rookie third baseman Royce Lewis (.280, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 6 BB, 5 R, .610 SLG), outfielder Matt Wallner (.474, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 1 BB, 3 R, .737 SLG) and starting pitcher Sonny Gray (1-1, 0.82 ERA, 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 11 SO) of the Minnesota Twins; relief pitcher Clay Holmes (0.00 ERA, 3 G, 3 SV, 3.0 IP, 2 SO) of the New York Yankees; All-Star outfielder Julio Rodríguez (.385, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 2B, 2 BB, 5 R, .615 SLG) of the Seattle Mariners; and catcher Jake Rogers (.500, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 6 R, 1.063 SLG, .529) of the Detroit Tigers.

Other noteworthy NL performances last week included infielder Luis Arraez (.433, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 1 2B, 7 R, 1 SB, .867 SLG) and third baseman Jake Burger (.357, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 3 BB, 5 R, .679 SLG) of the Miami Marlins; outfielder/designated hitter Mark Canha (.421, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 5 R, 2 SB, .737 SLG), starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (1-0, 0.60 ERA, 2 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 15.0 IP, 13 SO) and closer Devin Williams (0.00 ERA, 4 G, 3 SV, 4.0 IP, 6 SO) of the Milwaukee Brewers; outfielder Michael Harris II (.367, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 2 2B, 8 R, .833 SLG) of the Atlanta Braves; second baseman Nico Hoerner (2 RBI, 3 BB, 2 R, 3 SB) of the Chicago Cubs; and closer Ryan Helsley (0.00 ERA, 3 G, 3 SV, 3.0 IP, 4 SO) of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Electric Play of the Week presented by Chevrolet

Diving Catch by Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles

September 14^th at Camden Yards – Watch It Here

Baltimore Orioles All-Star outfielder Cedric Mullins won his fifth career Play of the Week Award and fourth of the season, and is the only player with more than three Play of the Week Awards since the award was introduced in 2019. Mullins also won on May 8^th, July 10^th and August 14^th, joining teammates Gunnar Henderson (July 24^th and September 5^th) and Austin Hays (August 7^th) as the Orioles’ winners this season. This marks the 11^th Play of the Week Award overall for the Orioles since the award was introduced in 2019, the most of any Major League team. In the top of the second inning on Thursday against the Rays, Taylor Walls hit a ball into the right-center gap and Mullins laid out to take away potential extra bases for the third out of the inning of the key AL East clash. Additional Play of the Week candidates included Pete Crow-Armstrong’s running catch; Jordyn Adams’ home run robbery; Evan Carter’s great diving catch; Alec Bohm’s sliding stop and throw to first; and Dansby Swanson’s diving stop and throw to first.