Bader, Stanton named Players of the Week
Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader and Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton have led their respective teams' recent surges toward the postseason. On Monday, they were named the Players of the Week presented by Chevrolet.
Bader did it all for St. Louis last week, hitting .517 with three homers, two steals and a 1.548 OPS. The Cardinals closed the weekend with a sweep of the rival Cubs to extend their winning streak to a franchise-record 16 games. Bader homered in three of four games at Wrigley Field, helping St. Louis shrink its magic number for the second NL Wild Card spot to one.
Bader is the third Cardinal to earn Player of the Week honors this season and the second in as many weeks, following in the footsteps of teammate Tyler O’Neill.
Stanton, like Bader, went deep three times this past weekend. He also drove in 10 runs during the Yankees’ sweep of the Red Sox, making him the fourth player in franchise history to record at least three homers and 10 RBIs in a three-game span against the Red Sox. The other players on that list are Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.
Overall, Stanton batted .409 with 13 RBIs and a 1.440 OPS last week as the Yankees went 6-0 and moved into the top spot in the AL Wild Card race.
This is the eighth time Stanton has been recognized with Player of the Week honors, but the first time since 2017. It’s the fifth time a Yankee has been named Player of the Week this season.