Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers named the Budweiser presents American League Player of the Month for May

Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera has been voted the Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month for May. Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of Major League Baseball and sponsor of 23 of 30 clubs, is also the presenting sponsor of the National League Player of the Month Award.

Cabrera batted .379 (44-for-116) with nine doubles, 12 home runs, 33 RBI, 23 runs scored and 15 walks in 28 games to claim his third career Player of the Month Award. He previously won top player honors in July 2008 and August 2012, both while playing in the Motor City. Miguel's 12 homers were the most for a Tigers player during the month of May since Willie Horton (12) in 1968, and his 44 hits were the most for the franchise in May since Ron LeFlore notched 45 hits in 1976. Among Major League leaders with a minimum of 84 plate appearances during the period, the 30-year-old finished first in RBI, extra-base hits (21) and total bases (89), was tied for first in hits and homers and was second overall in slugging percentage (.767). Amongst A.L. hitters, Cabrera was first in batting average, tied for first in on-base percentage (.455) and was second in the league in runs scored. In addition, the Venezuela native hit safely in 26 of 28 games over the month and reached base in 27 of those contests. The 2012 Triple Crown winner has hit safely in 48 of his 55 games played this season, with the Elias Sports Bureau noting that Cabrera became the first player in Major League history to be batting at least .340 with at least 15 homers and 60 RBI entering play on June 1st (.372, 16 HR, 61 RBI over April and May).

Among his highlights, the 11-year veteran went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two homers, six RBI and three runs scored in a 17-2 rout of the Houston Astros on May 4th at Minute Maid Park. The 2012 A.L. Most Valuable Player launched a two-run homer in the second inning to give Detroit an early 6-0 cushion and later added a leadoff solo blast in the sixth. It was Miguel's first multi-homer game of the season. On May 19th against the Texas Rangers, the seven-time All-Star slugged a career-high-tying three home runs as part of a 4-for-4 effort, but his offensive exploits were not enough as the Tigers dropped an 11-8 decision at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Cabrera had five RBI and four runs scored in the tilt while enjoying his second career three-homer game, last accomplishing the feat on May 28, 2010 against the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park. The Tigers slugger stands atop several A.L. leaderboards entering play today, leading the league in batting average (.367), hits (83), runs scored (45), RBI (65), total bases (151) and on-base percentage (.442), and ranking second in the Junior Circuit in homers (17) and slugging percentage (.668).

Others receiving votes included outfielder Mike Trout (.327, 5 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 14 BB, 27 R) of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and first baseman Chris Davis (.364, 10 2B, 10 HR, 22 RBI, 22 R) of the Baltimore Orioles.

The Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month, Miguel Cabrera, will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for his accomplishment.