George Springer, Trea Turner Named Players of the Week Presented by Chevrolet

Outfielder George Springer of the Toronto Blue Jays has been chosen the American League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet, and shortstop Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been named the National League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.

Springer earned his fifth career AL Player of the Week Award and his third of the 2021 season, becoming the first American Leaguer to take home three weekly honors in a single season since Justin Verlander, who accomplished the feat during his Cy Young and MVP Award-winning 2011 season. This marks Toronto’s sixth weekly honor (also: Robbie Ray, Teoscar Hernández, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), which is the most by an individual Club since the Boston Red Sox also claimed six awards during their World Series-winning 2007 campaign. Turner claimed his first career NL Player of the Week Award and is the Dodgers’ fourth winner this season, following Max Scherzer, Chris Taylor and AJ Pollock.

George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays

• Batted .500 (13-for-26) with eight runs scored, three doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, a stolen base and a .962 slugging percentage over six games played.
• Clubbed his sixth career grand slam in yesterday’s must-win game against the Baltimore Orioles. Also started Sunday’s contest with his fourth leadoff homer of the 2021 season, and the 43rd of his career.
• Reached the 20-homer plateau with a three-run blast in Saturday’s win over the Orioles. Has reached 20 round-trippers in six different seasons.
• Homered in consecutive games for the fourth time this year and the 25th time of his career.

Trea Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers

• Hit .458 (11-for-24) with eight runs scored, two doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI, a stolen base and a .917 slugging percentage across six games.
• Finished the regular season on a career-best 19-game hitting streak from September 12th – October 3rd, collecting 31 hits, five doubles, seven home runs and 18 RBI during the torrid stretch.
• Won the 2021 NL batting title after pacing his counterparts with a .328 average on the season, becoming the first Dodgers player to do so since Tommy Davis in 1963.
• Also paced the NL with 32 stolen bases, becoming the first Dodger to win a batting title and lead the league in steals since Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson in 1949.

Other noteworthy AL performances for the week included second baseman/outfielder Brandon Lowe (.429, 7 R, 5 HR, 11 RBI) and starting pitcher Michael Wacha (0.00 ERA, 10.0 IP, 8 SO, 1 H) of the of the Tampa Bay Rays; outfielder Mitch Haniger (.320, 5 R, 4 HR, 12 RBI) of the Seattle Mariners; first baseman Seth Brown (.273, 5 R, 4 HR, 8 RBI) and second baseman Tony Kemp (.435, 10 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI) of the Oakland Athletics; first baseman Jared Walsh (.435, 5 R, 5 XBH, 8 RBI) of the Los Angeles Angels; and Springer’s All-Star teammate Bo Bichette (.500, 7 R, 4 2B, 3 HR).

Other noteworthy NL performances last week included All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds (.579, 6 R, 3 2B, 3 3B) of the Pittsburgh Pirates; starting pitcher Reiver Sanmartin (2-0, 1.54 ERA, 11.1 IP, 11 SO) of the Cincinnati Reds; September/October’s NL Reliever of the Month Camilo Doval (4 G, 0.00 ERA, 3 SV, 7 SO) of the San Francisco Giants; outfielder Dylan Carlson (.412, 7 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI) of the St. Louis Cardinals; and Turner’s teammates Corey Seager (.500, 7 R, 3 2B, 4 HR) and Walker Buehler (2-0, 0.75 ERA, 12.0 IP, 16 SO).

PLAY OF THE WEEK

Running Catch by Gio Urshela of the New York Yankees, Oct. 3 vs. Tampa Bay

Infielder Gio Urshela of the New York Yankees earned his first career individual Play of the Week Award and this marks the Yankees’ second win of the 2021 campaign, following the triple play that was turned by the infield earlier this season in June. In the top of the sixth inning in yesterday’s critical game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Urshela sprinted to make a running catch in foul territory before tumbling into the Rays’ dugout. Additional Play of the Week candidates included Adolis García’s catch over the wall in foul territory; Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s leaping snag in shallow right-center field; Martín Maldonado's diving catch in foul territory; and Cole Tucker’s over-the-shoulder catch in right field.

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.

Kelsey Brentley from Pittsburgh, PA

As an employee of the West Penn Hospital, Kelsey has shown what it means to be a ‘hero in leadership.’ Throughout the pandemic she kept the hospital team updated with constant changes to protocols while always stressing the importance of keeping the staff and patients safe. She kept the entire unit running smoothly while doing a great job keeping the morale of the team high.

John Corippo from Oakland, CA

During the pandemic, John was on the front lines as a captain in the Ukiah Valley Fire Department. Additionally, he volunteered his free time as a youth baseball board member and team manager working tirelessly to ensure the kids in his league remained active. He put together safely run games as well as outdoor conditioning classes. As a volunteer, and firefighter, John is always looking out for those in his community.

For a full list of Chevy Community MVPs, please visit here.