Boston Red Sox designated hitter/outfielder J.D. Martinez has been named the American League Player of the Week presented by W.B. Mason for the period ending August 12th. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.
Martinez posted a slash line of .464/.531/1.071 with seven runs scored, 13 hits, five doubles, four home runs and 11 RBI over seven games played to earn his second AL Player of the Week Award this season (also May 20th), and the eighth weekly award of his career. Among qualified AL leaders, J.D. finished the week first in RBI, extra-base hits (9), slugging percentage and total bases (30); tied for first in hits; second in on-base percentage; tied for second in doubles and home runs; third in batting average; and tied for fifth in runs scored. This is Boston's third weekly award of the 2018 season, most recently following his teammate Xander Bogaerts (July 8th).
In the first game of his award-winning week on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays, Martinez notched his eighth three-hit game of the season, including a double, the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and four RBI to help lead Boston to a 10-7 victory. On Friday night against the Baltimore Orioles, the 30-year-old slugger logged a pair of runs scored and two hits to go along with his 100th and 101st RBI of the season. With the performance, Martinez, who signed with Boston this past offseason, became the ninth player in franchise history to record at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI in his first season with the Red Sox, and the first since 10-time All-Star David Ortiz in 2003. In the second game of Saturday's day/night doubleheader against the Orioles at Camden Yards, the Florida native posted his 10th career multi-home run game, and third of the 2018 campaign, last accomplishing the feat on July 24th. The 2015 Silver Slugger Award winner became just the fourth player in team history to club 37-or-more round-trippers in his team's first 119 games of a season, joining Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx (1938), Manny Ramirez (2001) and Ortiz (2006). The eight-year veteran is vying to become the 10th player (11th time) in AL history to win the prestigious Triple Crown, as he paces the Majors in home runs (37) and RBI (104), while trailing his All-Star teammate Mookie Betts (.350) by 17 points in batting average (.333).
Betts (.448, 10 R, 13 H, 8 XBH, 5 RBI) also posted a strong week for the Red Sox. On Thursday, Mookie became the 21st player (22nd time) in Club history to hit for the cycle, and the first since his teammate Brock Holt on June 16, 2015. In addition, the dynamic outfielder became the first Red Sox hitter to score multiple runs in five consecutive contests (August 5th-10th) since Kevin Youkilis in 2005. Other noteworthy performances last week included All-Star closer Edwin Díaz (5 G, 1.80 ERA, 5 SV, 11 SO) of the Seattle Mariners; All-Star starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (2-0, 0.73 ERA, 12.1 IP, 19 SO) of the Cleveland Indians; outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (.296, 8 R, 5 HR, 9 RBI) of the New York Yankees; and outfielder Adam Engel of the Chicago White Sox, who made three home run-saving catches.
In recognition of his American League Player of the Week Award, J.D. Martinez will be awarded a watch courtesy of Rockwell.