Chicago Cubs Anthony Rizzo named National League Player of the Week

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has been named the National League Player of the Week for July 18-20. The announcement was made Monday on MLB Network.

Rizzo led the Majors over the weekend with three home runs, 14 total bases and a 1.273 slugging percentage after representing the Cubs in Minnesota in the 2014 All-Star Game. The 24-year-old slugger was also tied for third in the NL with four RBI. Over the three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks he hit .455 and scored five runs.

In the first game of the second half, he hit two home runs and three RBIs in a 5-4 loss to the D-backs Friday at Chase Field. It was his second multi-homer game of the season with the first on Memorial Day at Miller Park against the BRewers.

In game two, he went 2-for-4 with his 23rd homer of the season in another one-run loss, 3-2. Rizzo’s homer matched his single-season career high from a year ago and tied Miami Marlins All-Star slugger Giancarlo Stanton for the NL home run lead on the year.

Rizzo was also the talk of the Majors after he dove into the camera well to catch a foul pop up.

Rizzo is the first Cub since August 19-25, 2013 to earn the honor. Jeff Samardzija shared the honor with Marlins’ Jose Fernandez that week and Ryan Dempster was the last Cub to win the honor outright for the week of June 4-10, 2012.