Adrian Beltre Of The Texas Rangers Named The American League Player Of The Month For September

Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre has been voted the Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month for September. Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of Major League Baseball and sponsor of 23 of 30 clubs, is also the presenting sponsor of the National League Player of the Month Award.

Beltre batted .337 (33-for-98) with three doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 19 RBI, 19 runs scored and six walks in 26 games to capture his third career monthly award, last winning for September 2011. Beltre becomes just the fourth A.L. player to win the award in back-to-back Septembers, joining Baltimore’s Eddie Murray (1980-81), New York’s Don Mattingly (1985-86) and Cleveland’s Albert Belle (1998-99). Adrian is the second Ranger to win A.L. Player of the Month this season after teammate Josh Hamilton took home honors for April and May. Among league leaders for September, Beltre ranked first in total bases (71) and slugging percentage (.724), was second in homers and eighth in batting average.

The right-handed-hitting Beltre went 2-for-4 with a triple, a homer, three RBI and two runs scored on September 5th as the Rangers edged the Kansas City Royals, 7-6, at Kauffman Stadium. The next night, the Dominican native homered again as part of a two-hit evening to help the Rangers down the Royals, 5-4, in 10 innings to take two-of-three in the series. Beltre’s fourth-inning shot, which followed a two-run blast by Hamilton, was his fifth long ball in six days and his 30th of the season.

It marked the first time in Adrian’s 15-year career that the slugger notched 30 home runs in back-to-back campaigns.   

Against the Los AngelesAngels of Anaheim on September 20th, Beltre went 1-for-4 at the plate with a two-run shot into the left-field seats in the top of the ninth frame as the Rangers went on to win, 3-1, in Anaheim. Finally, the 33-year-old continued his string of September heroics on the 24th against the Oakland Athletics, launching a game-tying, two-run home run in the seventh inning and later lining a walk-off single to center field as the Rangers took the game, 5-4, at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Beltre finished the night 3-for-5, including a double in the effort.

Heading into play today, Beltre ranks at or near the top in several A.L. offensive categories, including second in total bases (334), fourth in batting average (.319) and slugging percentage (.560), sixth in homers (36), ninth in RBI (101) and 10th in runs scored (95). Of note, Beltre finished the month with four game-winning RBI, the most in the A.L., and is tied with the Angels’ Albert Pujols for the most in the league this season with 19.

Others receiving votes included Miguel Cabrera (.308, 10 HR, 27 RBI) of Detroit; Torii Hunter (.346, 4 HR, 26 RBI) of the Angels; Minnesota’s Joe Mauer (.388, 5 2B, 2 HR, 16 RBI); Chris Davis (.337, 8 HR, 17 RBI) of Baltimore; Oakland’s Brandon Moss (.355, 6 HR, 14 RBI); Ichiro Suzuki (.385, 6 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 9 SB) of the Yankees; and Tampa Bay’s B.J. Upton (.250, 12 HR, 18 RBI).

In recognition for his Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month Award, Adrian Beltre will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for his accomplishment.