Mariners shortstop Tim Beckham named AL Player of the Week

When the Mariners signed Tim Beckham over the offseason, it was with the idea that he would play shortstop until the 24-year-old J.P. Crawford was ready to come up from Triple-A Tacoma to assume the position.

Did the Mariners get a steal in shortstop Tim Beckham?

Beckham’s bat might have a little bit more of a say in the matter now. He was named the first American League Player of the Week for the 2019 season on Monday after he hit .435 with three home runs, six RBIs, eight runs scored, two doubles, four walks and a 1.432 OPS to help Seattle jump out to a 5-1 start over its first six games. He’s tied for the Major League lead in hits (10) and runs.

This isn’t the first time Tim Beckham has won the award, or even the first time he’s done so for a strong first impression with a new team. He previously was named AL Player of the Week in August 2017 for his first week playing with the Baltimore Orioles after coming over in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays on July 31 of that year.

The highlight of Beckham’s big week came last Thursday when he took Boston ace Chris Sale deep not once but twice in the Mariners’ home opener at T-Mobile Park. They were the first two hits of Beckham’s career off of the Red Sox left-hander, as Beckham entered the game 0 for 15 lifetime against Sale.

Prior to the series versus Boston, Beckham went 5 for 7 in the Mariners’ two-game sweep of the A’s at the Tokyo Dome.

The 29-year-old Beckham is in his sixth MLB season, spending 2 1/2 years with Tampa Bay and the last 1 1/2 with Baltimore. He was the No. 1 overall pick taken by the Rays in the 2008 MLB Draft. He signed a one-year deal with Seattle in January.

Mariners LHP Marco Gonzales: ‘We have guys with a lot to prove’

Follow @BrentStecker