The New York Yankees are white hot, winning their last six games and playing perhaps their best baseball of 2021, even with a decimated outfield that will be without Aaron Hicks for a significant amount of time.
Part of the Yankees’ recent success can be attributed to the starting rotation, which has thrown 35 consecutive scoreless innings. Corey Kluber has been a big contributor to that total, with nine frames of his own in his no-hit, no-run against the Texas Rangers last week.
Because of that effort, Kluber, who was signed by the Yankees on a one-year deal around $11 million before the season started, earned Player of the Week honors in the American League alongside Detroit Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull, who also happened to throw a no-no.
MLB announced its latest Players of the Week on Monday, with Kluber and Turnbull named American League Co-Players of the Week and Austin Riley named National League Player of the Week.
The Yankees’ righty was in complete control
Riley was also impressive, hitting six home runs in the week to help the Atlanta Braves. But back to Kluber and the Yankees: the righty completely dominated the Rangers and only conceded a walk, against nine strikeouts. His whole arsenal was working and his command was pinpoint.
It was the first no-hitter thrown by a Yankees’ pitcher since 1999, when David Cone embraced perfection.
For Kluber, who has managed to lower his season ERA to 2.86 after a rocky couple of outings in the first month, it is his sixth Player of the Week award, and the second he gets in the 2021 campaign after winning it in the first week of May.
Yankees’ right fielder Aaron Judge won it last week, so the Bombers won the “back to backâ€.
Kluber will toe the rubber today against the Toronto Blue Jays, and will try to keep the momentum going.