Nationals RF Bryce Harper wins NL Player of the Month
On the heels of a record-setting May that thrust him into the Major League lead in multiple offensive statistical categories, Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper was named the National League Player of the Month on Wednesday. Major League Baseball made the announcement.
Currently leading the Major Leagues in home runs (T1st, 18), walks (45), slugging percentage (.718), OPS (1.188) and at-bats per home run (9.44), Harper also ranks tied for second in MLB in RBI (44), second in on-base percentage (.470), and second in runs (1st in the NL) with 43.
With 13 home runs in 26 May games - including a streak of six in a three-game span - Harper set a Nationals record (2005-present) for the most home runs hit in a single month. The baker's dozen topped the previous Nationals mark of 12, set by Alfonso Soriano in May, 2006. Harper also became the 10th youngest player in Major League history to hit three home runs in one game, which he accomplished on May 6 vs. the New York Mets.
Harper, who won back-to-back National League Player of the Week awards last month, on May 11 and May 18, hit .360 (31-for-86) with a .495 on-base percentage and .884 slugging percentage during the month. He clubbed four doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 28 RBI, 22 walks, two stolen bases and 24 runs scored. The 22-year-old -- who led the Nationals with five game-winning RBI and six go-ahead RBI last month -- drove in multiple runs in seven games, including two five-RBI performances (May 6 vs. NYM and May 8 vs. ATL) and one four-RBI day (May 17 at SDP).
Harper reached base safely in all but three of the games he played in last month (23 of 26) and reached base safely at least twice in 12 consecutive games from May 6-19, the longest such stretch in the Major Leagues this season. It was also the longest stretch of Harper's career, and in Nationals history (2005-present).
The Nationals' right fielder joins right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer in a clean sweep of the National League Player and Pitcher of the Month awards for Washington. This is the first time in Nationals history (2005-present) that the team has claimed both awards in the same month. Harper and Scherzer are also the first pair of NL teammates to win Player and Pitcher of the Month in the same month since Milwaukee's Ryan Braun and CC Sabathia (July, 2008).
Harper and Scherzer are the sixth and seventh Nationals players to earn the monthly honors, joining Chad Cordero (June, 2005), Stephen Strasburg (April, 2012), Gio Gonzalez (May, 2012), Jordan Zimmermann (July, 2012) and Jayson Werth (July 2013, July 2014).