Pete Alonso is the American League Player of the Week. MLB announced the honor on Monday, August 17, 2026, making Alonso the first Baltimore Oriole to claim the award since Colton Cowser earned it in 2024. It is the 81st time in franchise history a Baltimore player has taken home the weekly recognition. The week-specific stat line that drove the selection — home runs, RBI, batting average for the seven-day span — has not been included in the official announcement data; those figures will be added here once MLB releases them. Everything else about the award is confirmed and official.
Pete Alonso Named AL Player of the Week on August 17, 2026
The AL Player of the Week is decided on a player's offensive output over a specific seven-day window — standing out in a league loaded with elite talent — and Alonso cleared that bar this week. The award is voted on by MLB's communications department and is typically announced on Mondays covering the previous Monday-through-Sunday window. Winning it means you were the best offensive player in a 15-team league for an entire week, which is not a distinction handed out lightly.
What the Award Means in Franchise Context
Eighty prior Baltimore Orioles had won AL Player of the Week recognition before Alonso, but the franchise had gone two full years without seeing one of its own claim the honor. Colton Cowser was the last, earning the award in 2024 during a breakout season in which he established himself as one of the more exciting young outfielders in the American League. Alonso ending that drought matters beyond the trophy — it signals that Baltimore has a legitimate middle-of-the-order force who just beat out every other AL hitter for a given week's top billing deep into the 2026 regular season.
The franchise's history with the award stretches back decades, and 81 total winners reflect the long tradition of productive Orioles lineups. That Baltimore went two full years between winners is a number worth noting — and worth leaving behind.
What the Award Tells Us About Alonso Right Now
What the award already tells you without any supplementary stat line: Alonso outperformed every other hitter in the American League during the relevant seven-day window. That result speaks for itself. Baltimore's front office brought him in for 2026 expecting exactly this kind of production, and an AL Player of the Week honor in August is the kind of concrete, league-endorsed validation that quiets any lingering questions about whether he can deliver at this level in an Orioles uniform.
What Comes Next for Alonso and the Orioles
With the regular season still in progress, Alonso and the Orioles will look to carry this momentum forward. An award like this one puts a spotlight on a player's recent form, and Baltimore will want him to sustain it. The Orioles are 81 franchise Player of the Week awards deep into their history — and number 81 belongs to the man anchoring first base right now. That two-year wait since Cowser is over. Get used to hearing Pete Alonso's name called.
