Kyle Schwarber named National League Player of the Week

By Doug Miller

Nationals

June 21, 2021, 12:07pm

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Following a week in which he led the National League with six home runs and tied for the lead with 11 RBI, Washington Nationals left fielder Kyle Schwarber was named National League Player of the Week on Monday. Major League Baseball made the announcement on MLB Network.

Schwarber tied a Major League record with five home runs in a two-game span, June 19-20 vs. New York (NL). He became only the second player in Major League history to hit five home runs in two consecutive games from the leadoff spot (Mookie Betts, May 31-June 1, 2016). Two of his six home runs this week - June 19 and June 20 vs. New York (NL) - were leadoff home runs.

On June 20 against New York (NL), Schwarber became the sixth player in Nationals history (2005-pres.) to hit three home runs in a game.

All told, Schwarber went 10-for-26 (.385) with a .414 on-base percentage, a 1.077 slugging percentage and a 1.491 OPS in seven games this week. He hit safely in six of the seven games.

Thanks to his surge this week, Schwarber now ranks third in the National League with 18 home runs, eighth in slugging percentage (.518) and 12^th in OPS (.843). His four leadoff home runs are tied for the second-most in Major League Baseball despite him having only 10 games from the leadoff spot.

This is Schwarber's first career Player of the Week Award. It is the first award taken home by a Nationals player in 2021, and the first since Anthony Rendon won Player of the Month in Aug. 2019.