Atlanta Braves rookie outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. has been named the National League Player of the Week presented by W.B. Mason for the period ending August 19th. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.
Acuña posted a slash line of .464/.559/.964 with 11 runs scored, 13 hits, two doubles, four home runs, nine RBI, five walks and three stolen bases over eight games played to claim his first career NL Player of the Week Award. Among his NL counterparts, Ronald finished the period first in runs scored, home runs, slugging percentage and total bases (27); tied for first in hits and extra-base hits (6); tied for second in RBI and stolen bases; third in on-base percentage; fourth in batting average; and tied for fourth in walks. This is Atlanta's first weekly award of the 2018 season and the first for the Club since Acuña's All-Star teammate Freddie Freeman for the period ending September 26, 2016.
In Atlanta's doubleheader against the Miami Marlins on August 13th, Acuña became the fourth player in Major League history - and the first National Leaguer - to club leadoff home runs in both games of a doubleheader, joining Hall of Famers Harry Hooper (1913) and Rickey Henderson (1993), as well as Brady Anderson (1999), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In addition, the Venezuelan native led off Tuesday's contest with a round-tripper, and joined Anderson as the only players in MLB history to lead off three consecutive games with a homer. Following the performance, the rookie phenom became the youngest player in MLB history to homer in five consecutive games, and matched the Braves franchise record with eight other sluggers, including Hall of Famers Chipper Jones (2004), Hank Aaron (1966) and Rogers Hornsby (1928). According to Elias, the right-handed-hitting slugger (20 years, 239 days) became the youngest player since at least 1900 to club eight home runs in an eight-game span (August 8th-14th). Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger was slightly older (21 years, 341 days) when he accomplished the feat during his NL Rookie of the Year campaign last season from June 11th-19th. Entering play today, Acuña is slashing .290/.354/.566 with 18 doubles, 19 home runs, 43 RBI and 10 stolen bases on the season. The dynamic outfielder is on pace to become just the sixth player since at least 1871 to bat .290-or-better with 19 homers and 10 stolen bases in a season while younger than 21 years old, joining Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (1990) and Orlando Cepeda (1958), as well as Mike Trout (2012), Alex Rodriguez (1996) and Vada Pinson (1959).
Other noteworthy performances last week included Ronald's All-Star teammate Mike Foltynewicz (1-0, 0.60 ERA, 15.0 IP, 16 SO); All-Star starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (2-0, 1.15 ERA, 15.2 IP, 21 SO), backstop Kevin Plawecki (.421, 9 R, 3 XBH, 7 RBI) and shortstop Amed Rosario (.394, 9 R, 4 XBH, 9 RBI) of the New York Mets; starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacín (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13.0 IP, 13 SO) of the Milwaukee Brewers; third baseman Justin Turner (.500, 8 R, 6 XBH, 7 RBI) of the Los Angeles Dodgers; All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (.522, 5 R, 12 H, 7 RBI) of the Arizona Diamondbacks; and starter German Márquez (2-0, 1.93 ERA, 14.0 IP, 12 SO) of the Colorado Rockies.
In recognition of his National League Player of the Week Award, Ronald Acuña Jr. will be awarded a watch courtesy of Rockwell.