NL selects Arizona Gurriel Jr.

Juan Soto (26), who wore the uniform of the Major League Baseball (MLB) New York Yankees through a trade last winter, was selected as 'Player of the Week' in the first week of the opening of the 2024 season.

MLB.com announced on the 2nd (Korean time) that Soto and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (31, Arizona Diamondbacks) were selected as American League (AL) and National League (NL) Players of the Week, respectively.

Soto, who worked together with Kim Ha-seong at the San Diego Padres last year, wore a Yankees uniform through a trade in December of last year.

Soto boasted a bad bat in four games since the opening. He had a batting average of 0.529 (9 hits in 17 at-bats), 1 home run, 4 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.365.

In the opening game against the Houston Astros on the 29th of last month, Soto added strength to the team's victory by catching a runner with a decisive throw home in the 9th inning with one out and runners on first and second base with one out and a runner on first and second base with a 5-4 lead.

In the game against Houston on the 1st of this month, with the score tied 3-3 in the 9th inning with 2 outs and runners on second base, he hit a timely hit to left, becoming the game-winning hitter.

Led by Soto's performance, the Yankees won all four games since the opening. Soto had the honor of being selected as the weekly MVP by three teams, including the Washington Nationals, San Diego, and the Angkies. Gurriel Jr., who was selected as the NL Player of the Week, swung the bat with a batting average of 0.471 (8 hits in 17 at-bats), 3 home runs, 10 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.118 in 4 games since the opening. Gurriel Jr., who made his big league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018, was traded to Arizona in December 2022. He hit 24 home runs in the 2023 season, his first year in Arizona, the most in a single season. Gurriel Jr., who became a free agent after the 2023 season, renewed his contract with Arizona for three years and $42 million (about 56.9 billion won). 섯다