Latest news with #NLPlayeroftheMonth
Miami Herald
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Marlins' Stowers named NL Player of the Month
One month after being named an All-Star for the first time, Kyle Stowers was bestowed another prestigious honor Monday: National League Player of the Month for July. The Marlins outfielder posted 20 RBI, 10 homers and 16 runs in 24 games with a .364 batting average, .451 on-base percentage of .451 and slugging percentage of .818. He also had a 1.269 on-base plus slugging for the month. His slugging and OPS were both franchise records for July, and his OPS was the third highest for any month in Marlins' history. Stowers, 27, is the first Marlins player to be named NL Player of the Month since Giancarlo Stanton in August 2017. The left-hander is also the fifth Marlin to win the award, joining Jeff Conine (June 1995), Hanley Ramírez (June 2008), Emilio Bonifacio (July 2011) and Stanton, who owns the club record with three NL Player of the Month awards (also May 2012 and June 2015). After Sunday's 7-3 win against the Yankees, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough was asked about Stowers garnering attention for the NL Most Valuable Player Award this season. 'I think Kyle should be in that conversation — I really do,' McCullough said. 'Kyle is putting together a real season, with power and average, and the walks, and the [six] outfield assists. Kyle has got a couple of months left, but at this point, it's something, that you, know, he put out there.' Heading into Monday's three-game series opener against the Astros, Stowers ranks fourth in the National League in both OPS (.948) and slugging (.575), fifth in batting average (.296), and tied for sixth in home runs (25). He's 10th in OBP (.373) and tied for 11th in RBI (71) after four in Sunday's win. Last month, Stowers became the first Marlins outfielder to be named an NL All-Star since Stanton and Marcell Ozuna in 2017. And he made history with his offensive fireworks bookending the Midsummer Classic. On July 13 and 18, he became the first player in MLB history with five home runs in a two-game span. That included a walk-off home run July 18 at home against the Royals. He had a career high five hits, three homers, and 14 total bases on July 13 on the road against the Orioles. He also joined the Tigers' Ty Cobb (May 5-6, 1925) as the only players in MLB history with at least eight hits, five home runs, and 11 RBI in a two-game span since RBI became an official stat in 1920. He has continued his hot hitting into August. He smacked a grand slam on Friday and whacked a three-run home run — his first tater against a lefty this season — on Sunday. 'What Kyle has been doing, I'm not surprised,' McCullough said after Sunday's game. 'He's taking ferocious swings. Kyle is a dangerous hitter that can cover a lot of locations now and pitch types. Kyle is having a really special season.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jeff McNeil gets brutally honest on playing with Juan Soto
The post Jeff McNeil gets brutally honest on playing with Juan Soto appeared first on ClutchPoints. Even though the New York Mets lost more games than they won recently, right fielder Juan Soto remains hot. He's batting .266 with 21 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 83 hits. Advertisement On Friday, it was Soto who brought out the July 4 fireworks in the Mets' comeback victory over the New York Yankees, 6-5. He went 3 for 4 with a home run, single, and double, a triple shy of the cycle. Afteward, his teammate and second baseman Jeff McNeil paid him the highest compliment, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN. 'That was awesome,' McNeil said. 'He had a great day. Huge home run. That's just who he is. It's fun to watch, and I feel like every time he comes to the plate, he's going to do something cool.' McNeil had a breakthrough moment in the game. He made an incredible diving stop, denying Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu a hit. Furthermore, McNeil hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning. Advertisement In addition, the Mets notched their third consecutive victory and dealt the Yankees their fifth consecutive loss. The Mets are in a fierce battle with the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. As of now, they are 51-38, a half game behind the Phillies, who are 51-37. McNeil and Soto are two of the Mets' most significant assets. Both players are instrumental to keeping the Mets in contention. Last December, Soto signed a historic $765 million contract for 15 years with the Mets. He is considered to be one of the best hitters in the league. In June, Soto was named the NL Player of the Month with a .322 batting average and .474 on-base percentage. Overall, Soto is consistent at getting on base. That same month, Soto achieved his 1,000th career hit, joining Mickey Mantle to accomplish that feat before the age of 27 Advertisement As for McNeil, he brings a depth of versatility. He can play multiple positions, including outfield, second base, and third base. In 2022, McNeil won the MLB batting title, and the following year, he signed a four-year $50 million contract extension with the Mets. Related: Mets make 3 roster moves amid Yankees series Related: Mets' Juan Soto's claim amid hot stretch will frighten opposing pitchers
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
10 stunningly egregious MLB All-Star snubs in 2025
The 2025 MLB All-Star Game rosters are set -- barring players who drop out due to injury and are replaced -- and of course that means it's time to start naming who got left off. This is also a good place to jump up on the soapbox and complain about how each MLB team doesn't need at least one All-Star. If your franchise stinks right now, you don't need a player in the Midsummer Classic. That's it. Anyway, that might explain why some of these names were left off the rosters. Either way, let's dive in and talk about these egregious snubs: SS Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies Elly De La Cruz and Francisco Lindor are in ahead of him, but Turner's having a great year. SP Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies He was on this list last year! And now he's having an even better year. What gives? OF Juan Soto, New York Mets Despite the extremely slow start, he's picked it up and was just named NL Player of the Month. C'mon! KYLE STOWERS DOESN'T DESERVE A SPOT EVEN THOUGH HE'S THE ONLY MARLIN! 1B Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs He's been solid, but got robbed because first base is star-studded. 3B Zach McKinstry, Detroit Tigers Can we have like a utility position in MLB All-Star? Because he'd be in with ease. SP Framber Valdez, Houston Astros Another case of positional strength in a league. The AL is stacked with names like Hunter Brown, Kris Bubic, Max Fried and Tarik Skubal. OF Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs Dude LEADS THE LEAGUE IN RBI! What more do you want??? SP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins That sub-3.00 ERA is pretty awesome. OF Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers Maybe I have bias because he's on one of my fantasy teams, but he's been so good the whole year. C Carlos Narvaez, Boston Red Sox Would have been nice to see him in the game, but alas. You can't argue with Alejandro Kirk over him, and there was no way Cal Raleigh was going to be out.
Asahi Shimbun
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Asahi Shimbun
MLB/ Shohei Ohtani hits 2 homers against Giants, ending the Dodgers star's 10-game homer drought
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani drops his bat after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Los Angeles on June 14. (AP Photo) LOS ANGELES--Shohei Ohtani had never gone 10 games without hitting a homer for the Los Angeles Dodgers until this month. The three-time MVP ended his drought Saturday night — and then started making up for lost time. Ohtani hit two homers against the Giants, emphatically reaching 25 homers for the fifth consecutive season during Los Angeles' 11-5 victory over San Francisco. Ohtani led off the game with his 24th, hammering Landen Roupp's fourth pitch 419 feet deep into the right-field bleachers with an exit velocity of 110.3 mph. The slugger had gone 10 for 40 with no RBIs since his most recent homer June 2 — although he still had an eight-game hitting streak during his power outage. 'It did feel like I hadn't hit a homer in a while,' Ohtani said through his interpreter. 'In terms of the context of the two homers, I think the first homer was more significant, just being able to score early in the game.' Ohtani then led off the sixth with his 25th homer, sending Tristan Beck's breaking ball outside the strike zone into the bleachers in right. Dodgers fans brought him home with a standing ovation for his third multihomer game of the season and the 22nd of his career. He also moved one homer behind the Yankees' Aaron Judge and Seattle's Cal Raleigh for the overall major league lead. 'I didn't realize that,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said when informed of Ohtani's homer drought. 'He has a way of making up for things and leveling things out, so hitting two homers tonight gets him, I guess, back on track. ... I think it seemed like a while. I think there was a lot of chase down below in the last 10 days, so tonight he got the ball up, used the big part of the field and put some big swings together. But yeah, when he goes, it makes life a lot easier for all of us.' Ohtani had slowed down a bit over the past two weeks since he was named the NL Player of the Month for May, racking up 15 homers and 28 RBIs. He was back in formidable form against the Giants: Ohtani reached base four times and scored three runs in his first four at-bats, drawing two walks to go with his two homers. Ohtani hadn't played in 10 straight games without hitting a homer since 2023 in the final 10 games of his six-year tenure with the Los Angeles Angels. He has hit at least 34 homers and driven in at least 95 runs in the past four consecutive seasons. While his OPS (1.023) is nearly identical to last year's effort, Ohtani is behind the pace in several statistical categories compared to last season, when he became the first player to record 50 homers and 50 stolen bases before the Dodgers won his first World Series title. Most notably, Ohtani has only 41 RBIs in 69 games this season after driving in 130 runs in 159 games last year. But the two-way superstar doesn't believe his numbers at the plate are due to his increased workload on the mound as he prepares to pitch for the first time since 2023. Ohtani threw three simulated innings in San Diego last Tuesday, and Roberts has said there's now a chance Ohtani will pitch in a game before the All-Star break in mid-July. 'The live BP is really an important part of the progression,' Ohtani said. 'The intensity is different, so how that feels to my body is going to be different as well, but it's something that I do have to go through to make sure that my body feels right.' Ohtani remains firmly committed to resuming his career as a pitcher. The Dodgers have always been supportive, despite his value as a designated hitter — and they also could really use his talents now to help out a staff that had 14 pitchers on the injured list to begin the week. 'I do feel like just being the two-way player that I used to be was the norm,' Ohtani said when asked if his two-way work this season is tough on him. 'So last year really was the abnormal year. For me, it's just about getting back to what I used to do.'
NBC Sports
15-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Shohei Ohtani hits two home runs against Giants, ending 10-game drought
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani had never gone 10 games without hitting a homer for the Los Angeles Dodgers until this month. The three-time MVP ended his drought Saturday night — and then started making up for lost time. Ohtani hit two homers against the Giants, emphatically reaching 25 homers for the fifth consecutive season during Los Angeles' 11-5 victory over San Francisco. Ohtani led off the game with his 24th, hammering Landen Roupp's fourth pitch 419 feet deep into the right-field bleachers with an exit velocity of 110.3 mph. The slugger had gone 10 for 40 with no RBIs since his most recent homer June 2 — although he still had an eight-game hitting streak during his power outage. 'It did feel like I hadn't hit a homer in a while,' Ohtani said through his interpreter. 'In terms of the context of the two homers, I think the first homer was more significant, just being able to score early in the game.' Ohtani then led off the sixth with his 25th homer, sending Tristan Beck's breaking ball outside the strike zone into the bleachers in right. Dodgers fans brought him home with a standing ovation for his third multihomer game of the season and the 22nd of his career. He also moved one homer behind the Yankees' Aaron Judge and Seattle's Cal Raleigh for the overall major league lead. 'I didn't realize that,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said when informed of Ohtani's homer drought. 'He has a way of making up for things and leveling things out, so hitting two homers tonight gets him, I guess, back on track. ... I think it seemed like a while. I think there was a lot of chase down below in the last 10 days, so tonight he got the ball up, used the big part of the field and put some big swings together. But yeah, when he goes, it makes life a lot easier for all of us.' Ohtani had slowed down a bit over the past two weeks since he was named the NL Player of the Month for May, racking up 15 homers and 28 RBIs. He was back in formidable form against the Giants: Ohtani reached base four times and scored three runs in his first four at-bats, drawing two walks to go with his two homers. Ohtani hadn't played in 10 straight games without hitting a homer since 2023 in the final 10 games of his six-year tenure with the Los Angeles Angels. He has hit at least 34 homers and driven in at least 95 runs in the past four consecutive seasons. While his OPS (1.023) is nearly identical to last year's effort, Ohtani is behind the pace in several statistical categories compared to last season, when he became the first player to record 50 homers and 50 stolen bases before the Dodgers won his first World Series title. Most notably, Ohtani has only 41 RBIs in 69 games this season after driving in 130 runs in 159 games last year. But the two-way superstar doesn't believe his numbers at the plate are due to his increased workload on the mound as he prepares to pitch for the first time since 2023. Ohtani threw three simulated innings in San Diego last Tuesday, and Roberts has said there's now a chance Ohtani will pitch in a game before the All-Star break in mid-July. 'The live BP is really an important part of the progression,' Ohtani said. 'The intensity is different, so how that feels to my body is going to be different as well, but it's something that I do have to go through to make sure that my body feels right.' Ohtani remains firmly committed to resuming his career as a pitcher. The Dodgers have always been supportive, despite his value as a designated hitter — and they also could really use his talents now to help out a staff that had 14 pitchers on the injured list to begin the week. 'I do feel like just being the two-way player that I used to be was the norm,' Ohtani said when asked if his two-way work this season is tough on him. 'So last year really was the abnormal year. For me, it's just about getting back to what I used to do.'
