Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies voted the Budweiser presents National League Player of the Month for April

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has been voted the Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month for April. Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of Major League Baseball and sponsor for 24 of 30 MLB clubs, is also the presenting sponsor of the American League Player of the Month Award.

Tulowitzki paced the Major Leagues with a .477 on-base percentage and a .727 slugging percentage during 27 contests in March/April while ranking second in hitting behind teammate Charlie Blackmon. He posted a .364 average for the month, collecting 32 hits in 88 at-bats. The three-time All-Star also ranked among N.L. leaders with 24 runs scored (1st), 64 total bases (2nd), 22 RBI (T-3rd), seven home runs (T-4th) and nine doubles (T-5th). Along with his 32 hits, Tulowitzki drew 21 walks during the first month of the season, which was tied for the second-most in the Senior Circuit. His on-base and slugging percentages were the highest marks by a shortstop during the opening month of a season since 2006 (Derek Jeter, NYY, .505 OBP) and 2000 (Alex Rodriguez, SEA, .747 SLG), respectively. The 29-year-old capped his stellar April performance by going a combined 5-for-9 (.556) with two homers and five RBI in a three-game set at division-rival Arizona from April 28th-30th as the Rockies took two of three from the D-backs. On the 28th, Tulowitzki reached base five times for the second time this year (also: 4/20 vs. PHI), going 3-for-3 with a pair of walks. The California native clubbed homers in back-to-back games (4/28-29) for the second time on the young season after going deep in three-straight outings from April 22nd-25th. On April 18th, Tulowitzki collected five RBI, going 3-for-3 with a double and a home run in a 12-1 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. The five-RBI performance was the fifth of his career, which is the most among all active Major League shortstops. The performance fell two RBI shy of his career single-game high of seven, done twice (last: 9/15/10 vs. SD). The three-hit effort was one of five such outings for Tulowitzki last month. The seventh overall selection in the 2005 Draft currently leads all Major League shortstops in hitting, home runs, RBI and runs scored. This is his second career monthly award, having won previously for the month of September 2010.

Other players receiving votes included Adrian Gonzalez (.317, 18 R, 32 H, 9 2B, 8 HR, 24 RBI, .644 SLG) of the Los Angeles Dodgers; Miami's Giancarlo Stanton (.269, 19 R, 29 H, 8 2B, 8 HR, 31 RBI, .565 SLG); Tulowitzki's Colorado teammates Charlie Blackmon (.374, 23 R, 37 H, 7 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 18 RBI, .616 SLG, .418 OBP) and Justin Morneau (.343, 14 R, 35 H, 8 2B, 6 HR, 22 RBI, .618 SLG); and Milwaukee's Carlos Gomez (.293, 19 R, 34 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 15 RBI, .569 SLG, 4 SB).

The Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month for April 2014, Troy Tulowitzki, will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, in recognition of his accomplishment.