Ketel Marte's Bat Exploded, and The League Is Not Ready For What He's Doing

Alright, Emerald City! While we're still buzzing from our Mariners stomping the Athletics 9-2 today, let's talk about some other absolute BEASTS across MLB who just earned Player of the Week honors. Ketel Marte of the D-backs and Willson Contreras from the Red Sox both absolutely went off, proving that some players are just built different. And trust me, what Marte did after a brutal start to his season, well, it's gotta make you sit up and pay attention.

From Slump City to Smasher: Marte's Unreal Turnaround

You wanna talk about a glow-up? Ketel Marte, who's been an All-MLB First Team guy for two seasons running, started 2026 stuck in absolute mud. We're talking a dismal .619 OPS through his first 41 games. Forty-one games, folks! But then May 18th hit, and something just clicked. Over seven games, this dude hit a mind-blowing .536 with an insane 1.563 OPS. Seven extra-base hits and 12 RBIs? That's just three fewer RBIs than he had in his entire first 41 games! Are you kidding me right now? He didn't have a single three-hit game all season before last week, and then he goes and bangs out three of them in seven days. He even blasted his first career walk-off homer, a three-run bomb to sink the Giants! The D-backs went 6-1 in that span, pushing them five games above the .500 mark. It's his second Player of the Week honor ever, his first since 2019, and man, if that isn't a lesson in never giving up, I don't know what is.

Contreras Keeps Raking, Hoerner Makes Magic

Over in the American League, Willson Contreras of the Red Sox is out here just crushing it, proving to be a real bright spot in what's apparently a scuffling lineup. From May 18-24, he went 11-for-24, hitting .458 with a ridiculous 1.355 OPS. Four extra-base hits and eight RBIs in just six games? Yeah, he's putting in work. His 157 OPS+ on the season ranks him 10th highest in all of MLB. This is his second time snagging Player of the Week, and you gotta respect that kind of consistency. And hey, we also gotta give a shoutout to the National League's Play of the Week. Nico Hoerner, the Cubs' second baseman, pulled off something wild. Charging a drag bunt, he grabbed the ball bare-handed and flipped it through his legs to first baseman Michael Busch for the out! Talk about style points! The dude is an elite defender, chilling in the 99th percentile in MLB with +8 outs above average. That's just next-level stuff. So yeah, while Marte and Contreras are showing out across the league, our Seattle Mariners just handled business, stomping the Athletics 9-2. That's what we love to see, right? As the season rolls on, every game matters, and our guys, like Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh, are out there every night battling. We're well into the season now, and the form is emerging. Let's keep that momentum going, Emerald City! You know we'll be watching every pitch. Go M's!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.