MLB monthly awards: Diaz makes reliever history, hot corner dominates

Major League Baseball handed out its awards for August on Friday. Here's a look at all the honorees.

Players of the Month

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was named American League Player of the Month after a scorching hot August. The 28-year-old hit .362/.452/.681 with seven homers, 22 RBIs, and 17 walks to just 10 strikeouts across 27 games. Bregman's the second Astros player to earn the monthly honor this year, following Yordan Alvarez in June.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado was named the NL's top player. Arenado hit .364 with nine homers and 21 extra-base hits in 27 games and led all hitters in slugging (.729), OPS (1.139), and RBIs (29). The 31-year-old joins Aaron Judge as the only players to earn Player of the Month twice this year; Arenado also won it in April.

Pitchers of the Month

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen was nearly unhittable en route to being named AL Pitcher of the Month. In six starts last month, Rasmussen posted a sparkling 1.57 ERA and 0.67 WHIP with 33 strikeouts and just four walks while holding opponents to a meager .438 OPS. On Aug. 14, he retired the first 24 batters he faced before losing his perfect game in the ninth. Rasmussen, who breaks Dylan Cease's two-month hold on this honor, becomes the ninth Rays hurler to earn Pitcher of the Month.

The Senior Circuit's top pitcher was Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen. He won five of his six starts last month while posting a league-best 0.68 ERA and NL-leading 0.75 WHIP. He also tallied 44 strikeouts, including a season-high 12 in 7 1/3 innings against the Giants on Aug. 18, and didn't allow a home run. He pitched shutout baseball during his final five starts in August. Gallen is the second D-Backs pitcher to claim the award this season, following Merrill Kelly in July.

Rookies of the Month

The Seattle Mariners have another Rookie of the Month in 2022, but this time it's not Julio Rodriguez. Right-hander George Kirby was the AL's top freshman after a dominating month for the surging club. Kirby posted a 2.15 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 29 1/3 innings while tallying 34 strikeouts to just three walks. He also didn't allow a home run. Kirby is the first Mariners pitcher to win Rookie of the Month since Michael Pineda in April 2011.

Less than two weeks after inking an eight-year, $72-million extension, Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II earned his second Rookie of the Month award. Harris, the youngest player in the NL this season, slashed .337/.400/.590 with four homers, 12 doubles, 15 RBIs, and five stolen bases across 32 games in August. Braves rookies have now won this award in three consecutive months: Harris took it home in June, while Spencer Strider earned the honor in July.

Relievers of the Month

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase was nearly flawless in August en route to winning AL Reliever of the Month. Clase allowed just one earned run and didn't walk a batter in 11 1/3 innings while also tallying seven saves, 12 strikeouts, and a 0.44 WHIP. Opponents hit only .128/.128/.180, and just two of the five hits he surrendered went for extra bases. Clase, who also claimed this award in June, is the first Guardians reliever to win it twice in one season.

For the third straight month, Edwin Diaz is the NL's top reliever. The New York Mets closer electrified again, posting a 0.84 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with six saves and 16 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings. It's the seventh time Diaz has won this award, extending the record he set upon being honored in July. Diaz is also the only reliever to earn this distinction for three consecutive months in one season - and he's now done that twice, having first accomplished it while with the Mariners in 2018.