To the surprise of no one, Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon has been named National League Player of the Week for the Week of Aug. 8-14.
In seven games last week, Blackmon led Major League Baseball with seven home runs, 13 runs scored, 18 hits, a 1.313 slugging percentage and 42 total bases, while also tying for first with a .563 (18-for-32) batting average. Blackmon paced the NL with nine RBI and posted the league’s highest on-base percentage (.600).
Blackmon homered twice in Sunday’s 7-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, giving him five home runs in the three-game series after he had hit three in a losing effort on Friday. The five-homer series tied a club record for home runs in a series (Todd Helton, 1999 vs. Montreal). Friday’s three-homer performance was a career-high for the 30-year-old, who is currently in his sixth season.
On the second pitch of Thursday’s game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park, the Texas native clubbed his Major League-leading eighth leadoff homer of the season, setting the tone for an eventual 12-9 victory. It was his second leadoff homer of the week after breaking his own single-season team record of six leadoff homers in his first at bat in Tuesday’s 7-5 loss to the Rangers at Coors Field.
The 2014 NL All-Star’s 20 career leadoff homers are a Rockies’ franchise record. His 20 home runs as a leadoff hitter are the most in the NL this year, while his .324 batting average ranks fifth among qualifying NL hitters. This is his fourth career Player of the Week Award and second this season, having won previously for the weeks ending June 26, 2016; April 6, 2014; and September 22, 2013.
