Danny Barrels takes home the final Player of the Week award of 2025, becoming the FIRST DH/EH to win the award…Read More
The final week of the 2025 regular season delivered a historic moment that fans and analysts alike will be talking about for years to come. Danny Barrels, the hard-hitting designated hitter/extra hitter who has become a household name for his clutch performances, has etched his name into the record books by winning the last Player of the Week award of 2025. What makes it so significant is that he becomes the first player ever at the DH/EH role to claim the honor — an achievement that underscores the growing importance of the position in modern baseball.
A Historic First
For decades, the Player of the Week award has highlighted the best all-around performers on the field — pitchers throwing gems, fielders making dazzling plays, and sluggers sending balls into the stands. But rarely, if ever, did designated hitters or extra hitters command that spotlight. The narrative had often been that DHs, despite their offensive firepower, lacked the defensive versatility to be considered among the week’s most impactful players.
Danny Barrels changed that perception in spectacular fashion. By clinching the award in the final stretch of the season, he not only made history but also showed that offensive dominance alone can redefine what it means to be “the best” in a given week.
A Week of Offensive Fireworks
Barrels earned the award with a torrid stretch of hitting that elevated both his team and his own legacy. Across the week, he posted staggering offensive numbers: multi-hit games on back-to-back nights, a barrage of home runs that energized fans, and timely at-bats that shifted the momentum of games.
Analysts noted that his ability to deliver in pressure moments was the key factor. Whether it was a game-tying blast in the seventh inning or a bases-clearing double with two outs, Barrels showed that a DH/EH could control the flow of a game just as much as any fielder or pitcher. His stats not only jumped off the page but also carried significant weight in the playoff push, cementing why the award voters had no choice but to recognize him.
Breaking Down the Impact
What sets this moment apart is the way it validates the evolving role of the designated hitter. With more teams adopting flexible lineups, the DH/EH has become an essential weapon in the modern game — allowing players like Danny Barrels to focus entirely on offensive mastery.
Throughout the season, Barrels had already established himself as one of the league’s most feared bats. His plate discipline, ability to punish mistakes, and knack for situational hitting kept pitchers off balance. But in this final week, everything came together at once, creating an unstoppable force that opposing teams had no answer for.
Reactions from Around the League
Teammates and coaches were quick to heap praise on Barrels after the announcement. His manager called the recognition “a well-deserved moment for a guy who has carried us all season”, while fellow players applauded the way he shattered stereotypes about the DH role.
Fans, too, took to social media to celebrate. Hashtags like #DannyDidIt and #DHHistory began trending shortly after the news broke. One fan tweeted: “About time the league recognizes a DH! Danny Barrels showed us this week that hitters like him are every bit as valuable as anyone on the field.”
Even opposing pitchers chimed in, with one rival ace joking, “I’m just glad I don’t have to face him again this year.”
A Sign of Things to Come?
Barrels’ win may carry broader implications for the future. With him becoming the first DH/EH to secure the award, it opens the door for others in the position to earn similar recognition. As offensive numbers continue to climb across the league and the DH role grows in prominence, it’s likely that Barrels’ achievement will be seen as the beginning of a new era.
It also sparks an important conversation: should designated hitters receive more consideration in season-long awards like MVP? If a Player of the Week can come from the role, why not the game’s highest individual honors? Danny Barrels’ moment may well shift the way voters approach such debates in the years to come.
Closing Out the Season with a Statement
The timing of the award couldn’t be more poetic. With it being the last Player of the Week recognition of the season, Barrels has ensured that his name will be the one etched in headlines as the curtain falls on 2025. More importantly, his performance provided the perfect lead-in to postseason play, where his bat will undoubtedly be one of his team’s most critical weapons.
In a season filled with storylines — from rookie breakouts to veteran comebacks — Danny Barrels’ achievement stands tall as one of the most meaningful. He didn’t just collect hits or rack up stats; he changed the narrative around an entire position.
Legacy in the Making
Whether or not Barrels goes on to add postseason heroics to his résumé, this milestone has already cemented his place in baseball history. Being the first designated hitter/extra hitter to ever win a Player of the Week award is more than just a personal accolade — it’s a groundbreaking moment that redefines what’s possible for the role.
As the sun sets on the 2025 regular season, fans will remember Danny Barrels not just for his towering home runs or clutch at-bats, but for the week when he shattered tradition and proved that the DH/EH could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the game’s most celebrated players.
The award may read “Player of the Week,” but for Danny Barrels, it feels like “Player of the Future.”
