Story, Ramirez earn Player of Week honors

July 16th, 2018

Rockies shortstop and Indians third baseman were honored Monday as the National League and the American League Player of the Week presented by W.B. Mason.
Story clubbed a walk-off home run against the Mariners on Sunday, wrapping up a week in which he hit .400 with three homers and three doubles while compiling a 1.303 OPS. Story's homer on Sunday was his 20th of the first half, and he enters his first All-Star Game with career-best marks in batting average (.292), on-base percentage (.353) and slugging percentage (.557).
Ramirez went 11-for-26 (.423) with five home runs to compile a tremendous 1.598 OPS to close out the final week before the All-Star break. The 25-year-old tallied multiple hits in five of his seven contests during the week and scored a run in all but one of them as he completed an incredible first half. Ramirez's 29 home runs since Opening Day tied Mickey Mantle (1956 and '61) and Lance Berkman (2002) for the most in the first half by a switch-hitter. Ramirez tallied 57 extra-base hits, one shy of Albert Belle's first-half franchise record for the Indians.

This marks the third AL Player of the Week Award for Ramirez, who took home the honor twice last season for the weeks of June 18 and Sept. 3. It's Story's third Player of the Week Award, as well, after he claimed it twice in 2016 (April 10 and July 24).