ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 22:Adolis Garcia #53 of the Texas Rangers is doused with Powerade after hitting three home run and 8 RBI’s against the Oakland Athletics in an 18-3 win at Globe Life Field on April 22, 2023 in Arlington, Texas.(Photo by Ben Ludeman/Texas Rangers/Getty Images)
Major League Baseball named Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis García the American League Player of the Week Monday for the week ending Sunday, April 23.
According to the team, this is the second time El Bombi has won the weekly award in his career after taking the honor two years ago for exceptional play during the week of April 19-25, 2021.
In 2021, García started the year on the taxi squad for the first two road trips before his contract was selected on April 13 when Ronald Guzmán was sidelined with a knee injury. It didn't take him long to ramp up, winning the player of the week honors less than two weeks later and joining Oddibe McDowell as the only two Rangers players to win it as a rookie.
This time around, the Cuban native batted .400/.458/.1.100/1.558 (8-20) in his five games last week with four home runs, two doubles, 14 RBI, and eight runs scored. His 14 RBI led all MLB players for the week and he led the AL in HRs and extra-base hits (six) and 22 total bases. García's eight runs scored were tied for 2nd-most in the AL, trailing only teammate Marcus Semien's nine runs.
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García capped the week with a historic night Saturday against the A's when he went 5-for-5 with three HRs, two doubles, eight RBI, five runs, 16 total bases and five extra-base hits. He was also hit by a pitch.
"He became just the second player in MLB history to have five extra-base hits and eight RBI in a single contest, joining the Rangers' Josh Hamilton in his four-homer game on May 8, 2012 at Baltimore," the Rangers said in a statement. "He is just the third player in the modern era (since 1901) with at least three home runs, eight RBI, five runs, and 16 total bases in one game, joining Brooklyn's Gil Hodges on Aug. 31, 1950, and Washington's Anthony Rendon on April 30, 2017. García five extra-base hits matched the MLB record, and he matched Texas club marks with five runs scored and six times on base."
Since 2019, García is the only Texas player to win Player of the Week multiple times and is the first Texas player to win the honor since Nathaniel Lowe won it for the week of Aug. 22-28, 2022.
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The team said García's batting helmet from Saturday will be donated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
García is batting .250 with an .853 OPS figure for the season, posting seven home runs, 28 RBI, and 18 runs. His 28 RBI lead MLB, and he also ranks among American League season leaders in home runs (2nd, 7) and runs (T2nd, 18).
