Rays right fielder Steven Souza Jr., riding a seven-game hit streak, was named the American League Player of the Week on Monday.
Souza had an AL-high 12 hits last week, hit safely in all seven of Tampa Bay's games and recorded multiple hits in four of them. He homered twice and drove in an AL-leading nine runs.
The newly turned 28-year-old -- Souza's birthday was Monday -- hit .414/.433/.759 during the week. The batting average ranked fifth in the AL, and his slugging percentage and 1.192 OPS both ranked sixth.
"This is a great honor," Souza said. "This is an honor we share as a team. I think, over and over again, the common denominator with me was to get out of my own way. Just trying to go out there, have fun... and at the end of the day, it is what it is."
• Previous AL Players of the Week
Souza's monster week raised his season slash line to an impressive .347/.424/.613 -- tied for fourth in the AL in batting average, tied for sixth in on-base percentage and fifth in slugging. His 1.037 OPS ranks second to only the Angels' Michael Trout. Souza now leads the AL in Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs, with 1.5.
It's the first Player of the Week Award for Souza.