Baltimore Orioles player of the week: Tony tears it up in Texas

The second half of the season is underway and Baltimore Orioles all-star slugger Anthony Santander picked up right where he left off. After earning his second player of the week award heading into the all-star break, Santander becomes the first to win the award on back-to-back weeks. Not only did he help the Orioles take two out of three from the defending champion Texas Rangers, but he helped the American League get back into the winners column in the all-star game.

Santander's week began with a trip to Texas to play in his first all-star game as a major leaguer, and he came through for his team. Anthony entered the game in the top of the fifth inning as a defensive replacement for Juan Soto and got his first all-star at-bat in the bottom of the inning.

He turned around a 96mph fastball from Cincinnati Reds ace Hunter Greene, firing it through the right side, a hair under 100mph exit velocity, for a single. Santander would score what turned out to be the winning run just one batter later when Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox hit a two run homer to give the American League the lead at 5-3, a score that would hold for the remainder of the game.

Orioles' All-Star outfielder Anthony Santander stayed hot all week

The fans at Globe Life Field in Arlington cheered when Santander got his hit and scored for the American League, but they were not as receptive just a few days later when he took the field against the Rangers. Even though the cheers were no longer there, Santander still put on a show for the Texas faithful. He went 3-5 in game one of the series with five RBI's on two home runs that put the game out of reach in a blowout 9-1 victory.

Over the next two games, Santander would add two more hits (including another homer in game three of the series), three RBI's and his first stolen base of the season. He now has a modest eight game hitting streak, with 11 hits, four runs, one triple, four home runs and nine RBI's in that time. He's had hits in 13 of the 15 games he's played for the O's this month, and Oriole's legend Jim Palmer has taken notice.

I did do the math that Palmer suggested because when Jim Palmer tells you to do something, you do it. Tony has averaged a 'tater' every 9.33 at-bats over his last 168 at-bats. The Orioles have 63 games remaining. Santander has played 95% of the O's games so far. If he continues on that pace he'll play in about 60 of the remaining games and should average about four at-bats per game. If Santander is able to continue his home run pace he would finish the season with 52 home runs, which would blow his current career high of 33 out of the water.

All of that is theoretical. In reality, when you include the all-star game, Santander finished this week 6-15 with four runs, three homers, eight RBI's, a stolen base and a win in his first all-star game. After a day off on Monday, the Birds have games scheduled the next 13 days. Hopefully Santander can stay hot.