By Ryan Divish

The Seattle Times

Tim Beckham’s outstanding start to the 2019 season, which has helped propel the Mainers to a 5-1 start, has been rewarded by Major League Baseball.

On Monday, the league announced that Beckham was named the American League player of the week for the opening week of the 2019 season. Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich earned National League honors.

After being signed as a free agent this offseason to a one-year contract, Beckham has made an immediate positive impression at the plate.

“It’s been fun, but I’m not the only one that’s playing good ball around here,” he said. “I’m not the only playing good around here. You could’ve given the award to two or three guys around here. I think we should get the team of the week. I think that’s more important than me getting player of the week.”

But he did put up numbers to earn the award.

He hit .435 (10 for 23) with a .519 on-base percentage, a .913 slugging percentage, eight runs scored, two doubles, three home runs, six RBI and four walks over the Mariners’ first six games, including two games in Tokyo.

Beckham has gotten a hit in all six games, including multi-hit performances in the first three. He hit a pair of homers in the Mariners’ home opener Thursday, giving him three in the first three games. Only five other players have hit three homers in their first three games of a season in team history — Gorman Thomas (1985), Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (1997), David Segui (1998), Mike Morse (2013) and Robinson Canó (2016).

“It’s been a good start to the season,” Beckham said. “I want to keep it going. You don’t want to keep peak early and you want to keep playing good baseball. I want to come out every night and try to help the team win. Just continue to be consistent and continue to be aggressive in the strikezone and grind out at-bats.”

This is the second time Beckham has picked up this award. He also won it for the week of July 30-August 5, 2017, while with the Orioles.

A former No. 1 overall pick of the Rays in 2008 out of Griffin, Georgia, Beckham has always had the potential to be a force on offense. The inconsistency at the plate and in the field never allowed him consistent playing time. The Rays traded him to Baltimore midway through the 2017 season and he flourished, hitting .306 with an .871 OPS, 13 doubles, two triples, 10 homers and 26 RBI in 50 games. Last season with Baltimore wasn’t quite as productive. He hit .230 with a .661 OPS, 17 doubles, 12 homers and 35 RBI in 96 games.

Seattle signed him this offseason to fill the shortstop role until prospect J.P. Crawford was ready to take over the job on a full-time basis. At which point, Beckham would move into more of a utility role, having played second and third base in his career.