Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and Nationals first baseman Luis García Jr. hit home runs in bunches last week. That’s why they received Player of the Week honors in the AL and NL, respectively, on Monday.
Meanwhile, when Phillies center fielder Derek Hill reached over the wall to bring back what would have been a home run for Mets star Juan Soto on Friday, he also snagged Play of the Week recognition.
Caminero hit seven home runs in six games last week -- and three of those dingers came in one game versus the Royals. His seven homers during that six-game span tied for the most by a hitter age 22 or younger since at least 1900, matching Bryce Harper in 2015, Willie Horton in 1965 and Boog Powell in 1964.
Caminero’s last long ball of the week was really long: A 463-foot solo shot against the D-backs on Sunday. It was the Rays’ second-longest homer since 2021. It also helped Tampa Bay win its fifth straight game and overtake the Yankees for the outright AL East lead.
A finalist to be the AL’s starting third baseman in the All-Star Game, Caminero put together a .423/.500/1.231 slash line across 30 plate appearances during the week. He recorded 15 RBIs, which tied the Cubs’ Dansby Swanson for the most in MLB. This is Caminero’s second Player of the Week honor in his career. He shared it with Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh for the week of May 31, 2025.
As good as the Rays’ young star was, García had an even more productive week. He didn’t have quite as many homers, although six dingers in as many games is still pretty good. But the lefty hitter did lead the Majors in average (.526), on-base percentage (.591) and slugging percentage (1.579) to win Player of the Week for the first time in his career.
After going deep in each of Washington’s first three games of the week, García homered as part of a four-hit effort on Saturday. He then hit two more home runs during Sunday’s victory over the Orioles that brought the Nationals back over the .500 mark (43-42).
The last Nationals player to homer at least six times in a six-game stretch was Kyle Schwarber in June 2021. García’s 11 homers this month are also the most by any Nats player since Schwarber’s 16-homer June five years ago.
On Friday, Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler admitted that Hill’s home run robbery was “the best one I've ever seen in person.”
Hill’s catch was the perfect blend of timing and athleticism. He didn’t have any time to think. He just sprinted toward the right-center-field wall, jumped into the air without breaking stride, extended his left arm well over the fence and caught what would have been Soto’s 18th home run of the year.
“That was incredible,” Soto said afterwards.
It was also an extremely pivotal play in the Phillies’ 2-1 win. Acquired in a trade with the White Sox on June 11, the 30-year-old Hill has performed well in 13 games with his new club. He has paired his jaw-dropping outfield defense with a .313 average and an .844 OPS.