SEATTLE, Wash. – Major League Baseball announced today that infielder Jorge Polanco has been selected as the American League Player of the Week for April 21-27. It is the first weekly award of Polanco’s career.
Polanco, 31, hit .471 (8x17) with 5 runs scored, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, 8 RBI and 2 walks in 5 games (4 starts) during the week, recording 22 total bases with a 1.844 OPS.
The switch-hitting infielder homered in 3 of his 4 starts, including a multi-homer game on April 26 vs. Miami. “Polo” went back-to-back with Julio Rodríguez to begin the game in a 14-0 win over the Marlins.
Polanco and Dylan Moore, who won AL Player of the Week for April 14-20, are the first Mariners to win back-to-back AL Player of the Week awards since Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. on June 27 and July 4, 1998.
Overall this season, Polanco is batting .377 (26x69) with 10 runs, 4 doubles, 7 home runs, 20 RBI and 3 walks, getting on base at a .405 on-base percentage, slugging .739 with a 1.145 OPS in 20 games. His 1.145 OPS ranks 2nd in MLB (min. 75 plate appearances) behind only Aaron Judge-NYY (1.217 OPS).