De La Cruz named NL Player of the Week

Published 8:06 pm Monday, June 26, 2023

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball announced Chicago White Sox slugger Luis Robert Jr. and Cincinnati Reds phenom Elly De La Cruz were named the Players of the Week presented by Chevrolet on Monday, while Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer tabbed Play of the Week honors for his diving catch against the Oakland A’s on Friday.

De La Cruz continued his fantastic introduction to the big leagues by slashing .440/.462/.880 with two homers, three doubles and two stolen bases over his previous six games.

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De La Cruz’s big week was highlighted by a cycle on Friday in just his 15th MLB game. The feat – the first by a Reds player since 1989 – was key to Cincinnati extending its winning streak to 12 games, the franchise’s longest since 1957.

De La Cruz is the third Red this season to be named Player of the Week, joining Nick Senzel and fellow rookie Matt McLain. He is the sixth rookie in either league to win it in 2023.

The Dominican product also became the first player since 1900 to produce at least 20 hits, five stolen bases and three home runs in his first 15 career games according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Robert batted .444 with an MLB-best 1.111 slugging percentage during the week. He crushed four homers over his six games, including two home runs on Sunday that helped the White Sox secure a series victory over the Red Sox.

Robert’s 21 homers are the second most in the AL. He trails only the 25 from Anaheim Angels star Shohei Ohtani, the previous AL Player of the Week.