Spencer Turnbull, Corey Kluber, Austin Riley named Players of the Week presented by Chevrolet

Following the first career no-hitters for a pair of right-handers, starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull of the Detroit Tigers and All-Star starter Corey Kluber of the New York Yankees have been chosen the American League Co-Players of the Week presented by Chevrolet, and third baseman Austin Riley of the Atlanta Braves has been named the National League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.

Turnbull claimed his first career AL Player of the Week award and is Detroit’s first winner since Jeimer Candelario last year for the week ending September 13th. He became the first Tigers hurler to accomplish the feat since All-Star Max Scherzer in June of his 2013 AL Cy Young Award-winning campaign. Kluber earned his second weekly award of the 2021 campaign (also May 3rd) and the sixth of his career, following four honors while with the Cleveland Indians from 2013-17. Riley received his first NL Player of the Week award and is the second Braves winner this season, following his All-Star teammate Ronald Acuña Jr. on April 19th.

Spencer Turnbull, Detroit Tigers (@spencerturnbull)

• In Tuesday’s tilt against the Seattle Mariners, recorded the first no-hitter by a Tigers pitcher since Justin Verlander tossed his second career no-hitter in May 2011. Prior to Verlander’s first two no-hitters, the last Tigers hurler to accomplish the feat was Hall of Famer Jack Morris in 1984.
• The outing marked the first complete game and shutout of his career, while his nine strikeouts marked his second-most.
• Turnbull, who led the Majors with 17 losses in 2019, became the fifth pitcher in Major League history, and the first since Minnesota’s Scott Erickson in 1994, to throw a no-hitter within two seasons of leading the Majors in losses.
• Following his performance, improved to 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA and 31:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season.

Corey Kluber, New York Yankees (@ckluber28)

• On Wednesday night against the Texas Rangers, delivered the 12th no-hitter in Yankees history, the 11th in the regular season, and the first since David Cone’s perfect game against the Montreal Expos in 1999.
• Became the third pitcher in Major League history to deliver a no-hitter against a team he had pitched for in the same or previous season, joining Terry Mulholland (1990) and Ray Caldwell (1919).
• Allowing one baserunner via walk, it marked the fewest by a Yankee in a no-hitter that wasn’t a perfect game in franchise history.
• Recorded the day after Turnbull’s no-hitter, it marked the fourth instance since 1900 that multiple no-hitters were recorded over a two-day span, and the first since Fernando Valenzuela and Dave Stewart both tossed no-hitters on June 29, 1990.

Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves (@austin_riley8)

• Batted .462 (12-for-26) with nine runs scored, four doubles, six home runs, 11 RBI and a 1.308 slugging percentage over seven games played.
• Recorded the first multi-homer game of his career on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Also logged a double en route to posting three extra-base hits for the first time in his career.
• Finished his award-winning week in grand fashion, registering two homers and five RBI in yesterday’s win over the Pirates. Became the first Braves third baseman since Hall of Famer Chipper Jones in 2009 to post a multi-homer game with at least five RBI.
• Became the first player in franchise history to deliver at least six home runs, 10 extra-base hits and 11 RBI across a seven-game span, and the first in the Majors since last year’s AL MVP José Abreu in August 2020.

Other noteworthy AL performances for the week included first baseman Trey Mancini (.435, 8 R, 6 XBH, 9 RBI) of the Baltimore Orioles; All-Star first/third baseman Miguel Sanó (.300, 3 2B, 5 HR, 10 RBI) of the Minnesota Twins; rookie outfielder Adolis García (.300, 5 R, 4 HR, 11 RBI) of the Texas Rangers; first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.400, 6 R, 3 2B, 2 HR) and All-Star starting pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu (1-0, 1.32 ERA, 13.2 IP, 14 SO) of the Toronto Blue Jays; last year’s ALCS MVP Randy Arozarena (.345, 9 R, 10 H, 8 RBI) and backstop Mike Zunino (.333, 4 R, 3 HR, 5 RBI) of the Tampa Bay Rays; Turnbull’s rookie rotation-mate Casey Mize (1-0, 1.29 ERA, 14.0 IP, 13 SO); and Kluber’s All-Star teammate Gleyber Torres (.611, 11 H, 2 XBH, 8 RBI) .

Other noteworthy NL performances last week included dynamic shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (.786, 8 R, 6 HR, 7 RBI) and All-Star starting pitcher Yu Darvish (2-0, 0.64 ERA, 15 SO, 0 BB) of the San Diego Padres; outfielders Jesse Winker (.407, 8 R, 6 HR, 7 RBI) and Nick Castellanos (.520, 13 H, 5 XBH, 5 RBI) of the Cincinnati Reds; first baseman Garrett Cooper (.474, 6 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI) and rookie starter Cody Poteet (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 12.0 IP, 7 SO) of the Miami Marlins; All-Stars Walker Buehler (2-0, 0.64 ERA, 14.0 IP, 12 SO) and Max Muncy (.476, 7 R, 10 H, 4 XBH), as well as Julio Urías (2-0, 2.13 ERA, 18 SO, 0 BB) of the Los Angeles Dodgers; shortstop Edmundo Sosa (.588, 6 R, 10 H, 3 XBH) of the St. Louis Cardinals; and starter Zack Wheeler (1-0, 0.63 ERA, 22 SO, 1 BB) of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Infielder/outfielder Tony Kemp of the Oakland Athletics earned his first career Play of the Week award and is the second A’s player this season to accomplish the feat, joining his All-Star teammate Elvis Andrus (April 5th). With one out in the top of the fourth inning of Tuesday’s contest against the Houston Astros, Kemp leaped to make a fully-extended diving catch and take away a hit from Martín Maldonado. Additional Play of the Week candidates included Ramón Laureano’s home run-robbing snag; Michael A. Taylor’s leaping catch at the center-field wall; Randy Arozarena’s home run-robbing catch; and Nick Senzel’s barehanded play at third base.