Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams, Houston Astros' Chas McCormick Win Players of the Week
Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick and Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams have won American League and National League Players of the Week, respectively, MLB announced Monday afternoon.
McCormick went 7-for-11 against the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend, racking up three home runs, five RBI, three walks and a hit-by-pitch during the series. The 28-year-old hit .636 with a 2.188 OPS coming out of the All-Star break.
Abrams, meanwhile, went 6-for-13 in the Nationals' road series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The second-year infielder did a bit of everything, recording one home run, one double, one triple and two stolen bases while only striking out once all weekend.
The Nationals' young star posted a .462 batting average and 1.385 OPS over the course of the three-game set.
McCormick has been a part of the Astros system since the team picked him in the 21st round of the 2017 MLB Draft, and he finally made it to the majors in 2021. After hitting 14 home runs in 108 games as a rookie, McCormick returned to hit 14 more in 119 games in 2022.
The versatile outfielder hit .231 with two home runs in the postseason last fall, helping Houston secure the World Series title over the Philadelphia Phillies.
McCormick is hitting .280 with 11 homers, 32 RBI, nine stolen bases and an .886 OPS so far in 2023.
Abrams has been with the Nationals since midway through last season, serving as one of the centerpieces of the San Diego Padres' trade for outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell.
As a rookie, Abrams hit just .246 with two home runs, 21 RBI, seven stolen bases and a .604 OPS in 90 games. Abrams has already surpassed those numbers in six fewer games in 2023, going for eight homers, 36 RBI, 16 stolen bases, a .254 batting average and a .720 OPS.
Abrams and the Nationals' next game is on the road against the Chicago Cubs at 8:05 p.m. ET on Monday, while McCormick and the Astros are scheduled to take the field again on Tuesday at 8:40 p.m. ET versus the Colorado Rockies.
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