SAN DIEGO -- Call it "dad strength." Manuel Margot has been on a tear since the birth of his son, Diamond. And his recent effort has earned the rookie center fielder National League Player of the Week honors.
Margot went 14-for-28 with two doubles, a triple and three home runs last week, making him the first Padres player to claim the honor this season.
• Past winners
One of the game's most exciting rookies, Margot has made a name for himself this season with his complete skill set. He's always been highly touted for his speed, defense and line-drive-heavy swing. Recently, he's added a bit of power, too.
Margot, who is hitting .281/.321/.431 this season, joined the Padres two offseasons ago in the Craig Kimbrel trade. He was the club's top prospect entering the year, and he's living up to that billing.
The 22-year-old Margot is the first Padres player to win the weekly honor since Hunter Renfroe did so in the final week of the 2016 season. The two young outfielders were called up at the same time last September after leading Triple-A El Paso to a Pacific Coast League title. Margot's award comes after he missed three games late last week to be with his wife for the birth of their son on July 20.
"A lot of my teammates have said when you become a dad, you get more pop," Margot said earlier this week, through a team interpreter. "Maybe it's true, maybe it's not. But I do think when you have a child, you do start to think about things. You want to come to the park every day and you want to do your best, because you're thinking about the future of someone else as well."