José Soriano, James Wood Named Players of the Week

This article recaps MLB’s latest weekly honors. José Soriano of the Angels grabbed the AL Player of the Week, and James Wood of the Nationals took the NL Player of the Week. Rockies outfielder Jordan Beck also snagged Play of the Week with a defensive gem.

Soriano’s pitching mastery and Wood’s red-hot bat fueled their clubs in a pivotal week. Beck’s exceptional play capped a strong run for Colorado.

Soriano, Wood Named Players of the Week: A Week of Domination and Breakout Performances

It was a week loaded with standout performances. José Soriano and James Wood both put up numbers that turned heads, earning them Player of the Week honors in the AL and NL.

Soriano’s two starts on the mound and Wood’s hot streak at the plate gave their teams a boost as the season barrels toward the stretch run.

The buzz around Soriano, already one of the most interesting pitchers in the Angels’ rotation, kept building. For Wood, the Nationals finally saw the promise from his prospect days come to life in a week that helped Washington sweep an opponent and get some national attention.

José Soriano’s Week: Dominant on the Mound

Angels right-hander José Soriano rolled through back-to-back starts with almost alarming efficiency. He’s quickly becoming one of baseball’s most intriguing young arms.

Against Atlanta, he allowed just one run and three hits while fanning 10 over eight innings. Then he followed up with seven scoreless innings against Cincinnati, giving up only two hits and striking out 10 more. That’s a line that any pitcher would envy: barely any hits, lots of strikeouts, and no big innings allowed.

• MLB lead in wins (4)
• ERA (0.33)
• Strikeouts (31)
• bWAR at 1.8
• First pitcher since at least 1900 to allow fewer than 10 hits and two runs in his first four appearances of a season covering at least 25 innings

That group of milestones? It’s not just trivia—it’s Soriano announcing himself as a legit ace-in-waiting for the Angels. His early-season work has helped steady Los Angeles’ rotation and given the team a real blueprint for developing young pitching in a tough American League.

James Wood’s Week: Hitting, Speed, and a Historic Moment

James Wood, just 23, rode a scorching bat to a six-game tear. He went 12-for-22 (.545) with three homers, three doubles, eight runs, eight RBI, and two stolen bases.

His week included a sweep of Milwaukee and a wild moment where he swiped home and then homered in the same game—a rare feat for the Nationals since the club moved to Washington in 2005.

• Hit total: 12-for-22, .545
• Power display: 3 homers, 3 doubles
• Runs/RBI: 8/8
• Stolen bases: 2
• Team highlight: Nationals swept the Brewers in the week
• Historic moment: Stole home and homered in the same game
• NL Player of the Week for Nationals since Eddie Rosario in May 2024

Wood’s surge feels like the kind of breakout that can change a player’s entire story in the National League. His mix of average, power, speed, and clutch timing has given Washington a young core that’s suddenly looking pretty exciting.

Play of the Week and Other Highlights

On top of Soriano and Wood’s honors, the Rockies tipped their cap to left fielder Jordan Beck for a Play of the Week moment. Beck made a running catch to rob Nick Castellanos of a three-run homer.

It’s Colorado’s third Play of the Week award since 2019, and honestly, the Rockies keep finding ways to turn defense into highlight-reel moments when it matters most.

Jordan Beck’s Defining Play

Beck’s running catch really showed off the athleticism and instincts that make him such a valuable weapon in Colorado’s lineup.

Robbing a would-be three-run shot? That’s the kind of play that can flip a game—and maybe even a whole week—on its head. It’s moments like these that make you think the Rockies’ young outfield trio might just be able to contribute in all sorts of ways, night after night.

These weekly honors hint at a shifting landscape in MLB. Young talents like Soriano and Wood aren’t just filling in—they’re changing what we expect from rookies.

Soriano’s early-season dominance and Wood’s breakout performance give us a real sense of how the Angels and Nationals might try to handle the grind ahead. And Beck’s defensive heroics? They’re a good reminder that teams don’t win just by swinging the bat.

Sometimes, a flash of brilliance in the field is what carries a team through a rough patch. Maybe that’s what sets up a brighter future.

 
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