Padres players of the week for April 1-11
Credit: USA Today Sports
The Padres completed their first full week of the season and plenty of players have jumped out to good starts.
The Padres started on April 1 and completed their first full week on Sunday in Texas. They finished 7-3 ahead of a road trip to Pittsburgh. Here are five players that stuck out the most.
Let’s not bury the lede here. Perhaps no other story was bigger in all of baseball over the weekend than Joe Musgrove’s no-hitter, the first in San Diego Padres history. In his Friars debut on April 3, he went six innings while striking out eight without allowing a run or even a walk.
On Friday night, he looked unhittable (because he was). He was a hit-by-pitch to Joey Gallo away from Major League Baseball’s first perfect game since 2012. He ended up with 10 strikeouts without a walk or earned run or yes, a hit allowed. The local Grossmont High School product brought out the emotions in Padres fans everywhere as he completed the feat. An honorary player of the week award should be given to backstop Victor Caratini, who called a masterful game while guiding Musgrove to history.
IT HAS HAPPENED ‼️
JOE MUSGROVE HAS THROWN THE FIRST NO-HITTER IN PADRES HISTORY 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zCWHtlG5Pk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 10, 2021
Musgrove has immortalized himself in Padres lore, being the first to ever throw a no-hitter for the franchise who was the only one still without a no-no. Through two starts, he owns a 0.00 ERA with 18 strikeouts and zero walks. In most statistics, Musgrove is the best current pitcher in baseball and it’s not close.
Musgrove is not the only Padres pitcher throwing up zeroes right now. Melancon has been absolutely lights out as the closer thus far in 2021. In six appearances, he has five saves and is yet to allow a run while allowing just one hit in six innings. The Padres bullpen looks to be one of the best in all of baseball and out of the gates, much of that has to do with Melancon’s dominance.
Hosmer got off to a hot start in the shortened 2020 season and he is doing it once again this year. In nine games thus far, he owns a .353 average, along with a 1.098 OPS and a team-leading three home runs.
Eric Hosmer gets National League Player of the Week award. Seven hits, two home runs, 6 RBIs in his first three games of season. #Padres
— Annie Heilbrunn (@annieheilbrunn) April 5, 2021
He launched a home run in each of San Diego’s first two games of the season against Arizona, adding six total hits and six RBI in those two contests. He has reached base safely in each of his first nine games of the year and owns a stellar 198 wRC+. His torrid start earned him National League Player of the Week for the opening weekend.
The Padres’ right fielder picked up right where he left off after a solid 2020. In 10 games, Myers is working walks at a 14.6 percent clip, the best on the team. He, along with Hosmer, are the only two players on the team that currently own an OPS of greater than 1.000. His 177 wRC+ is second on the team only to Hosmer.
Through 10 games, Cronenworth has been one of the hardest batters to strike out in the entire league, with a 4.5 percent rate, the second-lowest in Major League Baseball. His .351 average is second on the team to Hosmer and he leads the squad with a lofty .442 on-base percentage, which is 12th-best in the National League.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.