
Gregory Polanco Prevents a Walk-Off Home Run to Claim Play of the Week
For the second consecutive week, George Springer of the Toronto Blue Jays has been chosen the American League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet, and first baseman C.J. Cron of the Colorado Rockies has been named the National League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.
Springer earned a second straight AL Player of the Week Award and the fourth of his career. The three-time All-Star is the first Blue Jays player to ever receive consecutive weekly awards, and is the first Major Leaguer to accomplish the feat since Manny Machado in August of last season. Cron was awarded his first career NL Player of the Week Award and is the Rockies’ second winner this season, following his teammate Josh Fuentes (May 17th).
George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays (@georgespringer)
- Hit .364 (12-for-33) with nine runs scored, three doubles, a triple, three home runs, 11 RBI and a .788 slugging percentage over eight games played.
- Homered on the first pitch of Wednesday’s contest, becoming the third player in team history to homer on the first pitch of a game multiple times in a season (also July 31st), joining Alex Rios (2007) and Jose Reyes (2014).
- Delivered leadoff round-trippers on both Tuesday and Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians. Became the fourth player in Club history to hit leadoff homers in consecutive games, joining Devon Travis (2016), Jose Cruz (2000) and Damaso Garcia (1983).
- Launched a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning yesterday for his 14th home run of the season. Accounted for four of Toronto’s nine runs, tallying four-or-more runs for the first time this season and the seventh time of his career.
C.J. Cron, Colorado Rockies (@ccron24)
- Posted a slash line of .556/.636/1.278 with nine runs scored, 10 hits, a double, four home runs, 16 RBI and three walks across five games.
- Logged multiple hits and RBI in four-of-five games during his award-winning week, while also producing a pair of multi-homer efforts.
- Delivered a grand slam and career-best seven RBI yesterday, the most RBI by a Rockies player since Trevor Story on May 31, 2019. Became the first player in franchise history to club three grand slams in a single season.
- Notched 13 RBI in Colorado’s series against the Miami Marlins, tied with Hall of Famer Larry Walker (April 27-29, 1999) for the most in a three-game series in franchise history. Became the first Major Leaguer since RBI became an official statistic in 1920 to log at least eight runs and 13 RBI in a three-game set.
Other noteworthy AL performances for the week included outfielder Starling Marte (.500, 12 H, 6 RBI, 3 SB) of the Oakland Athletics; starting pitcher Dylan Cease (2-0, 2.45 ERA, 11.0 IP, 21 SO) of the Chicago White Sox; infielder Jorge Polanco (.269, 7 R, 4 HR, 9 RBI) of the Minnesota Twins; All-Star outfielder Cedric Mullins (.320, 7 R, 3 HR, 3 SB) of the Baltimore Orioles; All-Star designated hitter Nelson Cruz (.261, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI) of the Tampa Bay Rays; and Springer’s All-Star teammate Teoscar Hernández (.400, 4 R, 10 H, 8 RBI).
Other noteworthy NL performances last week included first baseman Brandon Belt (.385, 5 R, 4 HR, 7 RBI) of the San Francisco Giants; starting pitcher Max Fried (2-0, 0.75 ERA, 12 SO, 2 BB) of the Atlanta Braves; outfielder Lewis Brinson (.400, 10 H, 5 XBH, 9 RBI) of the Marlins; outfielder Bryce Harper (.308, 8 R, 6 XBH, 7 RBI) of the Philadelphia Phillies; starter Blake Snell (2-0, 0.75 ERA, 12.0 IP, 19 SO) of the San Diego Padres; and Cron’s teammates Sam Hilliard (.421, 3 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI) and Trevor Story (.478, 8 R, 6 XBH, 6 RBI).
PLAY OF THE WEEK
Walk-off Home Run-Preventing Catch by Gregory Polanco of the Pittsburgh Pirates
August 3rd vs. ARI – Watch It Here
Outfielder Gregory Polanco of the Pittsburgh Pirates earned his first career Play of the Week Award and is Pittsburgh’s second winner this season, following his teammate Ke’Byran Hayes (June 28th). In the bottom of the ninth inning of a tied 5-5 game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Polanco made a leaping catch at the wall to prevent a walk-off home run by All-Star Eduardo Escobar, forcing extra innings. Additional Play of the Week candidates included Mike Yastrzemski’s leaping catch at the wall to prevent an extra-base hit; Jake Cronenworth’s diving stop and throw to nab Carson Kelly; Ernie Clement’s impressive stop and throw from the hot corner; and Kole Calhoun’s diving catch in foul territory.
Chevy Community MVPs of the Month
Meet the dedicated people who’ve kept our communities moving forward over the last year. They’re the real MVPs, or as we call them, Community MVPs. Each month, as MLB recognizes National and American League players for their exceptional on-field performances, Chevy will spotlight a Community MVP who’s stood out for continuously putting others’ needs before their own.
Roe Kilatchko from Houston, TX
A Texas A&M nursing Grad and 11-year hospital veteran, Roe Kilatchko has spent the last year working in the Houston Covid-19 ICU. Since March 2020, she has been pulling 18-hour shifts while doing her best to stay healthy so she can continue to help on the front lines of the pandemic. Roe has seen more than she will ever talk about while in the ICU but has never lost her joy for life.
Mitch Beller from Kansas City, MO
As a social worker at Children’s Mercy, Mitch Beller spends his days helping families in the community. Through the pandemic, he continued to help by providing resources to families, educating kids about the importance of mental health, and helping parents execute virtual school plans (in addition to supporting his own family through tumultuous times, including the unexpected death of his mother-in-law). Mitch is a true MVP in everything he does.
For a full list of Chevy Community MVPs, please visit here.
