As the first full month of this major leagues season officially comes to an end, the MLB Player of the Month awards for April was announced today. This is a title that rewards the best performing players during the last 30 or 31 days by position, and also the best rookies separately in both the American League and the National League.
These honors are helpful for players who have a chance to win an annual award such as the MVP or Cy Young, so they are solid indications of who gets to be the most dominant during the season. Without further ado, these are the MLB Players of the Month for April.
MLB April Player of the Month
American League: Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Rangers
The Dominican star of the Guardians batted .342/411/.722 with seven homers, 28 RBIs, 15 extra-base hits and a 1.133 OPS: numbers that led him to lead the leagues in RBIs, and ranking second in OPS and home runs respectively, in addition to being in the top five with the best batting average in the entire American League.
National League: Nolan Arenado, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
Meanwhile, the six-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glover hit .375/.444/.681 along with five homers, 17 RBIs, seven doubles, 11 runs scored and a 1.125 OPS. Without a doubt, Arenado has been the leader so far this year for the St. Louis Cardinals.
MLB April Pitcher of the Month
American League: Logan Gilbert, SP, Seattle Mariners
The sophomore right-hander accumulated a 3-0 record with a 0.40 ERA, 2.37 FIP, 22 strikeouts and a .188 batting average against through 22.1 innings pitched. The young Seattle star allowed only two runs in four starts, only one of which was considered clean.
National League: Pablo Lopez, SP, Miami Marlins
As regards the Cabimas native, he finished the month of April with a 3-0 record in four starts, posting a 0.39 ERA along with a 1.63 FIP, 23 strikeouts and only 13 hits allowed during 23.1 innings pitched. Only one run in his initial outing has so far blemished the Venezuelan’s record in 2022.
MLB April Rookie of the Month
American League: Steven Kwan, OF, Cleveland Rangers
Cleveland’s sensation outfielder racked up many solid at-bats, swinging at 40 of 116 pitches seen, with number 117 being the first in which he would miss for the first time all season. Even with an injury that has affected his most recent performance, the 24-year-old finished with a .354/.459/.500 line with five doubles, 10 runs scored and 17 total hits.
National League: Seiya Suzuki, SS, Chicago Cubs
Chicago’s Japanese star had a historic debut month: with an 11-game hitting streak, he finished the month with a .279/.405/.529 line along with five doubles, four homers, 14 RBIs and 13 runs scored. The Eastern reinforcement has been an offensive mainstay for the Cubs so far this season, making the team more competitive than it was previously thought.
MLB MLB Reliever of the Month for April
American League: Jordan Romano, PR, Toronto Blue Jays
The Canadian right-hander won the award for the first time in his career by saving 10 of the 14 wins the Blue Jays achieved in the month of May. With a 1.59 ERA, 13 strikeouts and a .195 opposing batting average, he has been one of the most dominant closers in all of the major leagues.
National League: Josh Hader, RP, Milwaukee Brewers
The three-time Reliever of the Year award winner and now a four-time Reliever of the Month winner started the 2022 MLB season as usual: allowing just two hits in 9.1 innings and 15 strikeouts, along with 10 saves. He has not allowed any runs so far following the streak he has been on since last season, with 29.3 scoreless innings.