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Nationals' Bryce Harper NL Player of the Month; Max Scherzer NL Pitcher of the Month

The Washington Nationals swept the Player of the Month nods for the month of May with Bryce Harper taking the Player of the Month award and Max Scherzer the Pitcher of the Month. Harper hit 13 HRs in May, Scherzer put together a five-start win streak.

By Patrick Reddington
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

In 26 games in May, 22-year-old Washington Nationals' outfielder Bryce Harper was 31 for 86 with a .360/.495/.844 line, four doubles, a triple, 13 home runs, 28 RBIs, 22 walks and 17 Ks in 109 plate appearances.

The ridiculous month-long hot streak took the 2010 no.1 overall pick from a .286/.440/.545 line on April 30th to an impressive .325/.469/.724 line on the year on May 31st.

Harper as the Nationals' press release on their right fielder being named the NL Player of the Month for the month of May notes, currently leads the majors in home runs (tied 1st w/ 18), walks (45) slugging percentage (.718), OPS (1.188) and is tied for second in RBIs (44) and on-base percentage (.470). Harper won the NL Player of the Week award twice last month, so the POTM nod is not too much of a surprise.

Harper wasn't the only National honored today, however, as Nats' starter Max Scherzer was named the NL Pitcher of the Month for May as well. Scherzer, 30, went (5-1) in six starts in May with a 1.67 ERA with six walks (1.26 BB/9), 56 Ks (11.72 K/9) and a .208/.241/.321 line against in 43 IP, holding opposing teams to one run or fewer in four of his five consecutive wins after a loss started the month.

Scherzer and Harper became the sixth and seventh Nationals to win Player of the Month honors, joining Chad Cordero (June of '05), Stephen Strasburg (April of '12), Gio Gonzalez (May of '12), Jordan Zimmermann (July of '12) and Jayson Werth (July of '13 and July of '14).

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