August saw a number of outstanding performances from players around the Majors. We had veterans show us why they’re a big deal, and we had rookies show us why they plan to be a big deal in the years to come.
NL Player of the Month: Brice Turang, Brewers
Turang sure seems to be saving his best for last. The Milwaukee slugger had the best month of his career in August, batting .343 with 10 homers and an MLB-leading 1.092 OPS. He had 11 multihit games during the month and closed things out by hitting safely in 13 of his final 14 games played. Turang’s 193 OPS+ for the month was tops in the Majors among hitters with at least 100 plate appearances.
AL Player of the Month: Shea Langeliers, A’s
Langeliers certainly had the power stroke going in August. His .661 slugging percentage for the month was the top mark in the AL among players with at least 100 plate appearances, while his .968 OPS ranked second. He clubbed 11 homers — three of which came in a five-hit performance against the Nationals on Aug. 5 — knocked in 22 runs and had an AL-leading 72 total bases. He was Shea Bangeliers, is what we’re saying.
NL Pitcher of the Month: Freddy Peralta, Brewers
Peralta didn’t let batters do much of anything in August. Opponents hit just .117 against him, the lowest mark in baseball during the month among qualified pitchers, as he went 4-0 with an MLB-best 0.32 ERA. He allowed one run in 28 innings, and it came in his first outing of the month. After that? Zilch. His 11 hits allowed during the month were the fewest of any qualified starter in the bigs, fueling his 0.82 WHIP.
AL Pitcher of the Month: Trevor Rogers, Orioles
Rogers has been flat-out dominant since the All-Star break. In six August starts — all quality starts — he went 4-1 and pitched to a 1.29 ERA across an MLB-high 42 innings, allowing just six earned runs all month. He held opponents to a .199 average, had a 0.86 WHIP and pitched seven or more innings in five of the six starts. He also pitched the Majors’ only complete game of the month on Aug. 1 against the Cubs.
NL Rookie of the Month: Jakob Marsee, Marlins
Talk about announcing your presence with authority. Marsee didn’t even debut until Aug. 1, but he certainly hit the ground running. Or, rather, swinging. His .352 average, 1.059 OPS, 11 doubles, 37 hits and 25 RBIs were all the highest marks among MLB rookies with at least 80 plate appearances during the month. His biggest showing came against the Guardians on Aug. 13, when he went 4-for-5 with two homers, a double and seven RBIs.
AL Rookie of the Month: Roman Anthony, Red Sox
Once he got his footing as an MLB hitter in late June, Anthony became exactly what the Red Sox expected and showed why he’s a big part of their future. This was on full display in August, as the slugging lefty slashed .304/.390/.520, clubbed six homers and led all AL rookies with 31 hits and 53 total bases. He also had 12 multihit games in August, the most of any MLB rookie.
NL Reliever of the Month: Raisel Iglesias, Braves
After a shaky start to his season, Iglesias has looked very much like his normal self during the second half — especially during August. The righty pitched to an 0.69 ERA with a 0.62 WHIP in 13 appearances and allowed just one earned run. Iglesias struck out 13 batters and issued zero walks as he recorded an MLB-best 10 saves, with the Braves going 11-2 in games in which he pitched.
AL Reliever of the Month: Aroldis Chapman, Red Sox
Chapman essentially pitched an 11-inning no-hitter in August. He faced 34 batters and retired 33 of them, allowing just one walk along the way for a 0.09 WHIP and a 0.00 ERA for the month. When hitters put the ball in play against him, they had an average exit velocity of just 84.4 mph. Chapman struck out 14 and picked up eight saves as the Red Sox went 10-2 in games in which he appeared. Overall, Chapman hasn’t allowed a hit since July 23 against the Phillies.
