Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi was named American League Player of the Week for the period of September 21-27, a stretch in which he hit a Major League-best .615 (16-for-26) in seven games.
Mondesi is the first Royals player to win the award since Jorge Soler from August 5-11, 2019, and he’s just the second Royals shortstop to earn American League weekly honors, joining Mike Aviles from July 28-August 3, 2008.
Mondesi led the Majors in runs (10), hits (16), stolen bases (5), batting average (.615), on-base percentage (.655), slugging percentage (1.154) and OPS (1.809) during the final week of the season, in which he led the Royals to a 5-2 record. Mondesi also tied for the American League lead with eight extra-base hits and his eight RBI were two shy of the American league lead.
Mondesi recorded a hit in nine consecutive at-bats over a three-game span last Thursday through Saturday, falling one hit shy of the club record of 10 straight hits held by Joe Randa from June 8-12, 1999. Mondesi also walked twice during that stretch to reach safely in 11 consecutive plate appearances, matching the club record previously done by Randa (June 8-12, 1999), Steve Braun (August 7-17, 1978) and Amos Otis (April 30-May 2, 1970).
Mondesi finished the season with multiple hits and at least one RBI in each of his last five games, matching the club record done seven times and last by Eric Hosmer from May 27-31, 2016. This stretch was tied for the second longest in the Majors this season, one game shy of Jared Walsh’s six-game run from September 10-16. Mondesi also had multiple extra-base hits in each of his last three games, matching the club record done eight times and last by Mike Sweeney from May 1-4, 2005.
On Thursday, Mondesi recorded his third career game with four hits and two steals, which are the second most such games in the Majors since 2010, one behind Ichiro Suzuki. He followed that up on Friday by falling a homer shy of the cycle with two stolen bases. In doing so, he became the first Royals player with three hits and multiple steals in consecutive games, and one of three players to do this in the Majors since 2010, joining Elvis Andrus (August 6-7, 2013) and Mike Trout (June 8-9, 2012). He also became the fourth player since 1901 to record at least three hits, two steals and an RBI in back-to-back games, joining Brady Anderson (July 11-15, 1999) and Davey Lopes (April 24-26, 1985) and George Sisler (July 15-16, 1920).
Mondesi homered on Saturday and Sunday to mark the fifth time he’s homered in consecutive games and second time this month (also 3 games from September 10-12). He finished the season-ending set vs. Detroit with 12 hits in 14 at-bats, matching George Brett (Sept. 12-14, 1975 vs. California) for the club record for most hits in a four-game series. In doing so, he became the first American League player to record 12 hits in a four-game series since Joe Mauer did it from August 1-4, 2016 at Cleveland.
On defense, Mondesi was perfect in his 30 total chances at shortstop over the seven-game stretch last week and turned five double plays, third most among American League shortstops.
Photo credit – Orlin Wagner / Associated Press / Kansas City, MO
