With the All-Star break drawing closer, two hitters stood out in a big way to open July—both providing a jolt to their respective offenses and perhaps a sign of bigger things to come. The league recognized Colorado’s Tim Salmon and Cincinnati’s Javy Lopez as the United and Federal League Players of the Week, respectively. Let’s take a closer look at the performances behind the awards.
United League Player of the Week: Tim Salmon (RF, Colorado)
Tim Salmon might be hitting just .243 on the season, but last week he looked like the centerpiece Colorado hoped he would become. In six games, the 26-year-old right fielder hit .435 (10-for-23) with four home runs and seven RBI. His OPS for the week hovered well above 1.500, driven by a home run in four of his last five games.
Salmon’s bat speed was locked in, especially against breaking balls—he slugged .900 on offspeed pitches during the stretch. Despite an up-and-down season to date, he now sits at 19 home runs and 35 RBI, and Colorado will be hoping this is the turning point for one of their more enigmatic hitters.
Federal League Player of the Week: Javy Lopez (C, Cincinnati)
Javy Lopez continues to make his case as one of the most complete offensive catchers in the league. The Cincinnati backstop mashed his way to a .450 average last week, going 9-for-20 with three home runs and four RBI. While the counting stats were solid, it’s his approach that stood out—Lopez chased fewer pitches and drove balls to all fields, including a 432-foot homer to dead center in Saturday’s win.
On the season, Lopez now owns a .273 average with 20 home runs and 48 RBI—an elite line for a catcher who’s handling a full workload behind the plate. With his framing metrics also grading out above league average, Lopez is quietly putting together an All-Star caliber campaign.