The American League Monday named Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak its Player of the Week for May 28-June 3. Smoak hit .348 (8-for-23) with a double, three home runs, eight RBIs, six walks and seven runs scored in six games against the Texas Rangers (2-1) and Chicago White Sox (1-2).
The 25-year-old Smoak tied for the AL lead in homers and RBIs, tied for second in walks, was third in slugging percentage (.783), sixth in on-base percentage (.483) and tied for seventh in total bases (18). Smoak leads the Mariners with 10 home runs and is second on the club with 29 RBI.
This is Smoak’s first career weekly honor. He is the first Mariner to get the award since Ichiro Suzuki won for the week ending Sept. 26, 2010.
Smoak’s biggest day was May 30 at Texas when he hit a pair of three-run bombs in Seattle’s 21-8 victory over the Rangers. The six RBIs were a career high.
Smoak also had two other multi-hit games, against the White Sox June 1 and June 2.
The American League cited several other noteworthy performances, including Seattle’s Michael Saunders (.444, 12 hits, three doubles); Seattle’s Kyle Seager (.375, four doubles, five RBIs); New York Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson (.286, three homers, eight RBIs); New York’s Phil Hughes (CG vs. Detroit June 3); Cleveland infielder Jason Kipnis (.320, six RBIs, five stolen bases); and White Sox starter Chris Sale (2-0, 1.65 ERA, 4 BB, 23 K, CG vs. Seattle June 3).
The Mariners begin a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels Monday night in Anaheim.