August 2, 2021

By Neil Munro

Canadian Baseball Network

Cincinnati Reds slugger Joey Votto has been named the National League’s Player of the Month for the first time in his 15-season big league career.

The Etobicoke, Ont., native becomes just the fourth Canadian to win a Player of the Month honour in either the National League or American League.

Here’s a complete list of the Canuck winners:

Also, after belting home runs in seven consecutive games, Votto was named NL Player of the Week.

Major League Baseball announced the awards today.

Right-hander Jameson Taillon (Canadian citizen) was also named the American League Pitcher of the Month for his performance with the New York Yankees, while Toronto Blue Jays centre fielder George Springer took home American League Player of the Week honours.

Here’s a summary of Votto’s performance in July courtesy of the Major League Baseball press release:

• Posted a slash line of .319/.440/.734 with 18 runs scored, 30 hits, four doubles, 11 home runs, 25 RBI and 19 walks across 26 games.

• Homered in a Club-record seven consecutive games from July 24th-30th, totaling nine round-trippers during the torrid stretch. He became the eighth player in Major League history to homer in seven straight games and the first since Kendrys Morales in August 2018.

• Became the second player in MLB history to notch at least nine home runs, 15 RBI and six walks across any seven-game span, joining Mark McGwire (1998).

• Enters play today with a 2021 slash line of .276/.371/.556 following his outstanding month at the plate, raising it from .254/.332/.464 after June.

Here’s a summary of Votto’s performance for the week ending August 1 courtesy of the Major League Baseball press release:

• Posted a slash line of .375/.448/1.250 with eight runs scored, nine hits, seven home runs, 11 RBI and four walks over six games played.

• Homered in a Club-record seven consecutive games from July 24th-30th, totaling nine round-trippers during the torrid stretch. He became the eighth player in Major League history to homer in seven straight games and the first since Kendrys Morales of the Blue Jays in August 2018. In addition, came within a foot of homering in a MLB record-tying eighth straight game after hitting a ball off the orange padding of the right-field wall in the eighth inning on Saturday at Citi Field.

• Delivered eight consecutive hits as home runs, tied for the second-longest such streak since 1961. Trailed Mark McGwire (11, 2001) for the all-time record, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

• Became the second player in Baseball history to notch at least nine home runs, 15 RBI and six walks across any seven-game span, joining McGwire (1998).

Here’s a complete list of Canadians that have won Player of the Week Honours:

Here’s a summary of Taillon’s performance during the month of July, courtesy of the Major League Baseball press release:

• Registered a perfect 4-0 record with a 1.16 ERA and a 25:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio across five starts. Permitted 20 hits and a pair of home runs over 31.0 innings of work.

• Tossed at least five innings without allowing more than two earned runs in any of his five outings in July.

• Has not lost a decision since May 31st against the Tampa Bay Rays. Won six-of-seven decisions from June 24th-July 30th, delivering a 2.11 ERA during the hot stretch.

• Following his dominant month on the mound, lowered his season ERA by more than a full run from June (5.43) to 4.11.

Three pitchers born in Canada have won either American or National League Pitcher of the Month honours: