Padres OF Will Venable named National League Player of the Week

Major League Baseball announced today that Padres outfielder Will Venable has been named the National League Player of the Week for the week of August 12-18. The announcement was made on MLB Network.

Venable, 30, hit .406 (13-for-32) this past week with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, five RBI, seven runs scored and a stolen base. The left-handed hitter led all National League players in hits (13) while ranking second in runs (seven). He collected a career-high tying four hits this past Saturday, August 17 against the New York Mets at Petco Park (7x, previous: August 21, 2012 vs. Pittsburgh) and recorded his first career walk-off home run in the ninth inning of yesterday's game to give the Padres a 4-3 victory over the Mets. The outfielder is also currently working on a career-best 15-game hitting streak, the longest by a Padre this season and longest active in all of Major League Baseball, hitting safely in each of his 15 games played this month and batting .377 (23-for-61), with four doubles, two triples, five home runs, eight RBI, 12 runs scored, five stolen bases, a .406 on-base percentage and .754 slugging percentage over that stretch.

In 116 games played this season, Venable has hit .266 (92-for-346) with 16 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, 42 RBI, 47 runs scored and 14 stolen bases, setting a career-high and leading the Padres this season in home runs. The weekly award is the first of his career and first for a Padre since Chase Headley was honored as the NL Player of the Week in August 6-12 of last season. 

In recognition of his National League Player of the Week Award, Venable will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.