Baseball Roundtable

It’s time again for Baseball Roundtable’s Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” one-of-a-kind MLB accomplishments or statistics.

This week’s episode is a bit of a potpourri. (How often will I get to use “potpourri” in a baseball blog?) But there is a central theme, the changing relationship of walks to strikeouts … explored from several angles.

Let me start by sharing how the topic came to be – another example of how “With the Roundtable one thing always seems to lead to another.”   It started with me pondering about the fact that there have been five nine-inning games in which a pitcher struck out a record (for a nine-inning game) twenty batters (Roger Clemens twice, Randy Johnson, Max Scherzer and Kerry Wood) and the combined total of walks in those five game was zero.

Those five 20K-0BB games, pulled me down a strikeouts-versus-walks rabbit hole … and I took a dive into games in which a pitcher fanned ten or more batters without issuing a single walk. As you might guess, and the chart below helps shed some light on, the 0-10+ outings have become much more common. In fact, this season (through September 7), there have been more such games (170) than from 1900 through 1964 (158).  The chart provides part of the explanation – showing that, while the rate of walks per nine innings has been relatively stable over the decades, the rate of strikeouts per nine innings has increased notably.

This, of course, is just a teaser.  I dug quite a bit further and, if you read on, you’ll get a look at looks at such topics as the players with the most zero-walk/double-digit strikeout games in a career and in a season; total zero-walk/double-digit-strikeout performances by decade; how the percentage of such games in which the qualifying pitcher was on the mound at least seven innings has declined; the shortest and longest outings to produce a zero-walk/double-digit-strikeout stat line; oldest and youngest with a zero-walk/double-digit strikeout game; and more.

Brief Diversion … Well, actually a 16-inning diversion.

I would guess 96% of reader know this, but the record for strikeouts by a single pitcher in an MLB game is 21 and it belongs to the Senators’ Tom Cheney (September 12, 1962 in a 2-1 win over the Orioles). Cheney pitched a 16-inning complete game that day. Eight of those strikeouts came in extra-innings, including the record 21^st, as he recorded the final out, on his 228^th pitch of the game. (He did walk four in the outing; so it was not a zero-walk/double-digit-strikeout game.)

Did that climbing pitch count wear him down? Cheney pitched seven no-hit innings from the ninth through the fifteenth.  Cheney, by the way, went 7-9. 3.17 in 1982, with four complete games and three shutouts. His career line (eight MLB seasons) was 19-29, 3.77.

Back to the original topic(s) … High Strikeout Games With Zero Walks

Zero-Walk-Double-Digit-Strikeout Performances by Decade

As the chart below shows, zero-walk/double-digit strikeout performances have been on the rise (and that holds true even if you factor in expansion). Remember that, as noted earlier, this season (through September 7), there have been more such games than from 1900 through 1964.

The chart also shows a drop, starting around the year 2000, in the percentage of such outings that saw the achieving pitcher on the mound for at least seven innings.

Most Zero-Walk/Double-Digit-Strikeout Games In A Career

Here are the pitchers with 20 or more zero-walk/double-digit-strikeout games in their careers.

This Ten-Strikeout Thing is Getting Old

Randy Johnson is the oldest pitcher to toss a zero-walk/double-digit-strikeout game (44 years – 300 days of age). Johnson, in fact, tossed 11 such games after his fortieth birthday. Others to throw a zero-walk/double-digit-strikeout game after forty years of age include: Nolan Ryan (7); Curt Schilling; Gaylord Perry; J0hn Smoltz; Max Scherzer; Rich Hill; and Roger Clemens. This, of course, leads to a great trivia question. Who is the only pitcher to toss a zero-strikeout/double-digit-strikeout game after age 40 and not record at least 3,000 career strikeouts? (You can add the hint that he didn’t even make the 1,500-strikeout club).  That w0uld be Rich Hill, with 1,432 strikeouts in 21 MLB seasons (2005-2025). Hill pitched in the major leagues from 2005 through 2025 (for 14 different MLB franchises) and went 90-76, 4.02 in 388 appearances (250 starts) and 1,432 strikeouts in 1,418 innings pitched.  

Most Zero-Walk/Double-Digit-Strikeout Games In A Season

Garrett Cole (2019 Astros) and Tarik Skubal (2025 Pirates) share the record for the most zero-walk-double-digit strikeouts games in a season at seven.

Longest Zero-Walk/Double-Digit-Strikeout Outing

The Giants’ Carl Hubbell notched the longest zero-walk/double-digit-strikeout outing.  On July 2, 1933, he went the distance in an 18-inning win over the Cardinals, giving up six hits and zero walks, while fanning twelve.

Shortest Zero-Walk Double-Digit-Strikeout Outing

On July 17, 1909, the Red Sox’ Smoky Joe Wood set the record for the shortest zero-walk/double-digit-strikeout outing, pitching four innings of relief in a 6-4 Boston win over the Cleveland Naps.  He pitched four innings of one-run ball, giving up five hits and no walks, while fanning ten.  The 19-year-old finished the season at 11-7, 2.18 in 24 appearances (19 starts).  His career stat line was 117-57, 2.-3 over 11 seasons.

On June 2, 2025, the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard (in a starting role) tied Wood. In four innings of a 7-2 loss to the Padres, he walked none and fanned ten.  He also gave up seven runs on ten hits.

Teenagers To Have a Zero-Walk-Double-Digit-Strikeout Outing

The Red’s’ Gary Nolan was the youngest pitcher to have zero-walk/double-digit-strikeout outing at 19 years and 11 days of age (June 7, 1967 versus the Giants).  A list of pitchers to throw a qualifying outing as teenagers includes: Gary Nolan (2X); Dwight Gooden (2X); Smoky Joe Wood.

Primary Resource: Stathead.com

Side Note: The Roundtable does not carry ads. However, I am making a small exception.  On the sidebar to the right of the screen (under Links), you’ll see a “widget” that looks like a baseball with “We Fit Baseball Fans To A Tee” in it.  My brother and I – more for fun that profit – have launched (and are expanding a line of baseball-themed T-Shirts, Mugs and Hats that you might find interesting,  Just click on the image to go to the site. (Check out the expanding Sandlot Section.)

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.

P 1185

It’s time again for Baseball Roundtable’s Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” one-of-a-kind MLB accomplishments or statistics.

This week our primary focus in players who share the record for the most stolen bases in a single MLB game.

Side Note:  This is the Modern ERA record (the modern/current stolen base stat rules were implemented in 1898). Elias Sports Bureau does credit Billy Hamilton of the Phillies with seven steals in an August 31, 1894 game and the White Stockings’  George Gore is reported (per an article by Society of American Baseball Research  member Jerry Grillo) to have seven steals in a June 26, 1881 contest (stolen bases were not an officially recorded statistic at the time.) Special thanks to Mike Robinson for alerting The Roundtable to the pre-1898 info.

Eddie Collins, 1912 Athletics

Photo: Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Eddie Collins is the unicorn in this group, the only  player to steal six bases in a game twice in his career – and he did it twice in the same season (as well as twice in the same month),  Collins is also:

• The first MLB player to steal six bases in a game; and
• The only player on this list to have a caught stealing in a six-theft contest.

On September 11, 1912 – as his Athletics beat the Tigers 9-7 in Detroit – Collins (batting third and playing 2B) went three-for-five, with two runs scored and one RBI.  After grounding out in the first inning; he had an RBI single in the third and stole second; he was safe on an error  in the fourth, then stole second (going to third on an error) and then stole home; he singled again in the sixth, stole second, advanced to third on an error and was caught attempting to steal home; in the eighth, he singled and stole second and third. The speedy outburst gave him 53 steals on the season.

Then just 11 days later (September 22), as the Athletics topped the Browns 8-2 in St. Louis, Collins again broke free for six steals. Batting third and playing second base, Collins went four-for-five, with three runs scored and one RBI

He started his day reaching first base on a fielder’s choice and then stealing second.  After that: he led off the third with a bunt single and later scored (but did not steal a base); bunted for a single again in the fifth, stole second and later scored; singled to LF in the seventh, stole second (advancing to third on a bad throw by the catcher) and later stole home; hit an RBI single to center in the eighth and stole second and  third while the next batter was at the plate.

Collins finished the 1912 season at .348-0-64, with league-leading 137 runs scored and 63 steals in 85 attempts. He was second in steals in the AL to Clyde Milan’s 88.

Hall of Famer Collins played in 25 MLB seasons (1906-30 … all for the Athletics.  He went .333-47-1,299, with 1,821 runs scored, 3,315 hits and 741 steals  (eighth all-time) in 937 attempts. Collins led the league in steals four times and stole 40 or more bases in ten seasons. He also led the league in runs scored three times

Otis Nixon, 1991 Braves

For 79 years, Eddie Collins stood as the only MLB player to steal six bases in a game. Then, on June 16, 1991, Brave’s RF and leadoff hitter Otis Nixon logged six steals as the Braves lost to the Expos 7-6 in Montreal. Nixon went three-for-five, with two runs scored in the game.

Nixon opened the contest with a single and signaled what was to come by stealing second and third before scoring the game’s first run. Going forward, he led off the third with a bunt single and again stole second and third before scoring (on the second and third pitches to the next batter). Nixon then grounded out to end the fourth; and lined out to end the sixth.  With the Braves trailing 7-6 in the top of the ninth, Nixon did all he could to will them to victory. He led off with a single, and stole second; then with two out he stole third, but and was stranded.

In the 1991 season, Nixon went .297-0-26, with 81 runs scored and 72 steals in 93 attempts. His 72 steals were second in the NL to the Expos’ Marquis Grissom. Nixon played in 17 MLB seasons (1983-99 … Yankees, Indians, Expos, Braves, Red Sox, Rangers, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Twins), going .270-11-318, with 878 runs scored and 620 steals in 806 attempts. While he never led the league in stolen bases, he swiped forty or more bags in nine campaigns.

Eric Young, Sr., Rockies, June 30, 1996

June 30, 1996 was quite a day for the Dodgers and Rockies, who faced off at Coors Field. The Rockies prevailed 16-15 in a game that featured a combined 38 hits, 10 home runs, 14 stolen bases and five errors. In the entire contest, there was only one three up/three down half inning, In addition to scoring a combined 31 runs, the two teams left 20 runners on base over the nine frames.

Rockies’ 2B and leadoff hitter Eric Young, Sr. went two-for-five, with a walk, three runs scored and one RBI.  He also stole a record-tying six bases in six attempts.

Young led off the bottom of the first inning by grounding out third-to-first. He led off again in the third and singled. After SS Walt Weiss fanned, Young stole second and third base while LF Ellis Burks was at the plate. Burks eventually walked (on four pitches, apparently Young’s activity on the bases was a bit unnerving for the Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo). Then, on an 0-1 pitch to RF Dante Bichette, Young completed his trip around the bases by stealing home. With Young off the basepaths, Nomo fanned the next two batters  (1B Andres Galarraga and 3B Vinny Castilla) on eight pitches.

Young came up again in the fourth, with two out and CF Quintin McCracken on third (McCracken had walked and stole second and third during a P Roger Bailey strikeout).  Young stole second and later scored. In the fifth, Young was safe on a fielder’s choice and stole second, but was stranded. Young reached on an error in the seventh and later scored, but did  not steal any bases. In the eighth, with the Rockies up 14-12, Young singled, stole second, but was stranded.

In 1996, Young hit  .324-8-74, with 113 runs scored and a league-leading 53 steals in 72 attempts. Young played in 15 MLB seasons (1992-2006 … Rockies, Dodgers, Cubs, Brewers, Giants, Rangers, Padres), going .283-79-543, with 996 runs scored and 465 steals in 633 attempts. He stole 30 or more bases in nine seasons … 50+ three times), but led the league just once.

In 1996, Eric Young, Sr. struck out just 31 times in 643 plate appearances.  

Carl Crawford,  2009 Rays

Photo:Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Carl Crawford had his six-steal day in  May 3, 2009 in a Rays’ 5-3 win over the Red Sox (in Tampa). Crawford, batting second and playing LF, went four-for-four, with a walk, two runs scored and one RBI.

In the first inning, Crawford walked, stole second (going to third  on the catcher’s throwing error) and later scored. In the third, he had an infield single and stole second. In the fifth, he singled and stole second and third (but did not score).  In the seventh, he singled, stole second and eventually scored.  In the eighth, he singled and stole second.

In 2009, Crawford went .305-15-68, with 96 runs scored and 60 stolen bases (in 76 attempts).  His 60 steals were second to the Red Sox’ Jacoby Ellsbury in the AL.

Crawford played in 15 MLB seasons  (2002-2016 … Rays, Red Sox, Dodgers). He was a four-time All Star and a one-time Gold Glover. He final stat line was .290-136-766, with 998 runs scored and 480 steals (in 589 attempts). He led the league in steals four times and stole 40 or more bases in seven seasons )five of those 50 or more).

The Other Side of the Coin

Forty-eight players have been caught stealing at least three times in a single MLB game, but only one of those was caught four times.  That unicorn is Giants’ 2B Robby Thompson, tossed out on the basepaths four times in a Giants’ 7-6 loss to the Reds (in Cincinnati) on June 27, 1986.

In that one, Thompson, at 2B and batting in the two-hole, flied out to right in the top of the first inning. He hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 1-1 in the third. He hit a single to center (with the Giants up 5-1) in the fourth, but was thrown out trying to steal second.

In the top of the sixth (Giants up 5-2), Thompson hit an RBI groundball single to extend the lead and was then again caught on a steal attempt.  In the top of the ninth, with the game now tied at six apiece, Thompson singled, but was again caught trying to swipe second. In the eleventh Thompson fanned on a wild pitch with two out, but reached first on the errant pitch.   The extra-innings and Thompson’s reaching safely on a strikeout-wild pitch gave him the opportunity to stand (unenviably) alone as the only MLB player caught stealing four times in a single game. And, he cashed in that opportunity,  again being tossed out trying to steal second.  The Giants finally scored in the top of the twelfth for a 7-6 win.

In that 1986 season, Thompson (in his rookie MLB campaign) hit .271-7-47, with 73 runs scored and 12 steals (in 27 attempts). Thompson played in 11 MLB seasons (1986-96 … Giants) and was a two-time All Star.  His final stat line was .257-119-458, with 671 runs scored and 103 steals in 165 attempts. His best season was 1993, when he hit .312-19-65, with 85 runs scored and ten steals. That season, he set his career highs in average, home runs and RBI.

Side Note: The Roundtable does not carry ads. However, I am making a small exception.  On the sidebar to the right of the screen (under Links), you’ll see a “widget” that looks like a baseball with “We Fit Baseball Fans To A Tee” in it.  My brother and I – more for fun that profit – have launched (and are expanding a line of baseball-themed T-Shirts, Mugs and Hats that you might find interesting,  Just click on the image to go to the site. (Check out the expanding Sandlot Section.)

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.

P 1183

It’s time again for Baseball Roundtable’s Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” one-of-a-kind MLB accomplishments or statistics.

This week, I was all set to do a Trivia(l) Tidbit focused on players who have stolen six bases in a single MLB game (watch for that topic next week), but Cardinals’ rookie OF Joshua Baez’ “unicorn” three homers in his first three MLB at bats in an August 15, 8-4 win over the Cubs was impressive enough to send me off in a different direction.

For example, I was impressed by the fact that Baez’ homers went to all fields – center, left and right (in that order) – and that they were hit off a fastball, changeup and slider (also in that order).

It also struck me that as I write this, Baez has a share of the record for the most major- league hits by any player whose every major-league hit was a home run. (In three games since his three-homer debut, Baez has gone 0-for-14, with six strikeouts.) So, for now, Baez shares this record with another Cardinal, C/PH Keith McDonald.

Three MLB Career Hits … All Home Runs

I’ll digress for a minute to look at McDonald’s record, which I am sure will soon once again be his alone.  McDonald got his first taste of MLB action on July 4, 2000 (in St. Louis), pinch-hitting (for SS Edgar Renteria) in the bottom of the eighth inning – with the Cardinals ahead by a 13-3 score.  After hitting just one home run in 177 at bats at Triple-A that season, McDonald sent a 2-2 pitch out of the park to left-center. McDonald did not play in the Reds/Cardinals July 5 tilt, but on July 6, he started at catcher against the Reds, batting in the number-eight spot.  He got his first at bat of the game in the bottom of the second, with the Cardinals trailing 3-2. He tied the game with a home run on a 1-0 pitch – becoming just the second MLB player ever to homer in their FIRST TWO plate appearances. McDonald, who ended up with a total of only 11 MLB plate appearances (in eight games in 2000-01), had one other hit (also a home run) and is the only player to retired with more than one MLB hit whose every MLB hit went the distance., McDonald’s final MLB stat line  . .333-3-5.

Now back to my main topi , Baez’ MLB debut and some three-homer game trivia.

Let’s start with a deeper look at Baez’ inaugural MB game. Baez made his first trip to the plate as a major-leaguer in the top of the first – with one on and two out –  and hit the first pitch he saw (a fastball) from Cubs’ starter Matthew Boyd for a (449-foot) home run to center.  In the process, Baez became just the thirty-third player to hit the first major-league pitch he ever saw for a home run.

He came up again leading off the fourth and made more (and rarer) history. Baez worked a 3-2 count and again homered off Boyd – this time to left (off a changeup).  This made him the ninth MLB player to homer twice in his first MLB  game,  the  third to homer in his first two major-league plate appearances and just the second to homer in his first two MLB plate appearances in the same (MLB debut) game.

In the sixth, with Boyd still on the bump, there was more history to be made. Baez  hit a 1-0 slider for a two-run home run to right.  At this point, the Cardinals had a 6-3 lead and Baez had driven in five of the six tallies.  This made him the first player to homer in his first three MLB trips to the plate.  As noted earlier, he also joined, albeit surely temporarily, McDonald as the only MLB player with more than one MLB hit, whose every career MLB hit was a home run.

Baez came up once more in his inaugural game and flied out to left off Colin Rea.

Now a few more tidbits:

• Baez is the 34^th youngest player to have a three-homer game. The youngest is Al Kaline at 20 year-119 days (April 17, 1955). The only other player to have a three-dinger contest before age 20 is Eddie Mathews at 20 years – 350 days (Sept. 27, 1952). Side note: I never miss a chance to mention Mathews, my childhood hero and all-time favorite player.
• Baez is one of only six MLB players with five or more RBI in their MLB debut game. The Cubs’ Starlin Castro holds the debut-game record at six RBI (May 7, 2010). Castro also is the youngest player with five or more RBI in an MLB debut (20 years – 44 days).

Three Made Baez A Unicorn

Before Joshua Baez, the only two players to homer in their first TWO MLB plate appearances were: St. Louis Browns’ LF Bob Nieman, who homered in his first two MLB at plate appearances in his debut game (against the Red Sox in Fenway – on September 14, 1951) and the Cardinals’ Keith  McDonald in the July 4 and July 6, 2000 games (as noted earlier in this post).  

For those who like a little background, Baez was a second-round pick (54^th overall) in the 2021 MLB draft – out of Southfield High School in Brookline Massachusetts (signing for $2.25 million).  Baez was hitting  .256, with 34 home runs, 90 RBI and 21 stolen bas s in 103 games at Triple-A Memphis. In six minor-league seasons, Baez has gone .251-78-275, with 149 steals in 452 games. He seemed to find his power stroke in 2025 (as a 22-year-old), going .287-20-79 at High-A and Double-A.  Previously, he had not hit more than 11 home runs in any minor-league season.

Baez Showcases His Power at Triple-A

On June 16 of this season, Joshua Baez, playing for the Triple-A Memphis Red Birds smacked four home runs in a 12-5 win over the Nashville Sounds. He famished the game four-for-five, with the four home runs, four runs scored and seven RBI.

The oldest player to hit three or more home runs in a game was Stan Musial, with three homers in a July 8, 1962 Cardinals’ 15-1 win over the Mets.

That Was Fun … Let’s Do It Again

No one put together two three-homer games in a shorter span of time than the Angels’ Doug DeCinces. He smacked three homers in an August 3, 1982 5-4 loss to the Twins, then just four days and four games later (August 8) launched a trio of dingers in  a 9-5 win over Seattle.

That season, DeCinces went .310-30-97 and reached what would be his career highs in: average (.301); home runs (30); RBI (97); runs scored (94); hits (173); doubles (42); triples (5); and total bases (315). The performance was driven by a sterling second half.  At the All Star break, DeCinces (who did not make the AL All Star team) was hitting .268-10-47 (in 85 games). In 68 games after the break, he hit .340-20-50.

Over a 15-season MLB career (1973-87 … Orioles, Angels, Cardinals), DeCinces went . .259-237-879.

A final chart:

Final (side) Note: Only nine players have hit two or more home runs in their MLB debut game and three of those occurrences have come this season: Joshua Baez, Cardinals; Chase DeLauter, Guardians; and Jose Fernandez, Diamondbacks.  The others: Bob Nieman, 1951 Browns; Bert Campaneris, 1964 Athletics; Mark Quinn, 1999 Royals; J.P. Arencibia, 2010 Blue Jays; Trevor Story, 2016 Rockies; Charlie Reilly, 1889 Columbus Solons (American Association).

Primary Resources: Stathead.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; Three Homers in 1st three at bats?! Baez first to accomplish feat in epic big league debut, by Zach Sweet, MLB.com

Side Note: The Roundtable does not carry ads. However, I am making a small exception.  On the sidebar to the right of the screen (under Links), you’ll see a “widget” hat looks like a baseball with “We Fit Baseball Fans To A Tee” in it.  My brother and I – more for fun that profit – have launched (and are expanding a line of baseball-themed T-Shirts, Mugs and Hats that you might find interesting,  Just click on the image to go to the site.

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.

P 1183

It’s time again for Baseball Roundtable’s Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” one-of-a-kind MLB accomplishments or statistics.

Thiis week, as you can see in the chart, we are looking at 20-20-20 and 20-20-20-20 seasons.

• The triple seems to be the key to the 20-20-20-20 and 20-20-20 season. While the seven players on these two lists combined to lead the league in triples a total of 16 times, they each had only one season of 20 or more three baggers.
• Three of the seven are in the Hall of Fame (Jim Bottomley, Willie Mays and George Brett).
• The list includes two primary CF, one RF, one LF, one SS, one 3B and one 1B.
• All seven achieved their twenty-something(s) seasons in their “twenty-somethings” (four in their age-26 seasons, three in their age-28 seasons).

Let’s take a look at these seven players (their 20-20-20-20 or 20-20 20 season and careers).

I’ll try to put them in the order I rank their notable season – which is, of course, purely subjective.  I should note that after the first three, I could easily have juggled the order. (You will probably surmise I gave an edge to players who were MVPs in their 20-20-20 or 20-20-20-20 seasons.)

Jimmy Rollins, SS, 2007 Phillies

Photo: Scinsvche, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

In his qualifying season, Rollins led the league in games played (162, the most in any season on either list).  He also led the league in runs scored with 139, again the most of any season on either list. His 41 steals  are the most ever in a 20-20-20-20 season. His  212 hits tie George Brett for the most in a 29-20-20-20 or 20-20-20 season.  Rollins’ 380 total bases are the most among players in a season qualifying for either list. He is also one of just three players to hit at least 30 homers while qualifying for either list. He is the only player on either list to hit under .300 in their qualifying season.

Overall, Rollin played in 17 MLB seasons (2000-2016 … Phillies, Dodgers, White Sox – all but two for the Phillies). He hit .264-231-936, with 1,421 runs scored and 470 stolen bases. He was a three-time All Star, four-time Gold Glover and the 2007 NL Most Valuable Player (in his 20-20-20-20 season). He led the NL in triples three times and steals once (46 in 2001) and hit 20+  home runs in four seasons (once reaching 30). Rollins had four seasons of 40 or more stolen bases and six more of thirty or more.

Willie Mays, CF,  1957 Giants

Photo: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mays’ 35 home runs were the most in any season qualifying for either list and his 38 stolen bases second only  to Rollins. In addition, his .333 average is the second highest on either list and the highest among those who had 20 or more steals.

The Hall of Famer played in 23 MLB seasons (1948, 1951-73 … Black Barons, Giants, Mets), going .301-660-1.909, with 2,068 runs scored and 339 steals. Mays was an All Star in 20 MLB seasons. He was the 1951 NL Rookie of the Year; 1954 and 1965 NL MVP; and a 12-time Gold Glover. Mays led the league in home runs four times, stolen bases four times; triples three times; total bases three times; runs twice, hits once and batting average once. He hit forty or more homers in six seasons, twice topping 50, and stole thirty or morebases three time. Surprisingly, he never led the league in RBI.

Jim Bottomley, 1B, 1928 Cardinals

Photo: The New York Times, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Bottomley was one of just two players to led his league in home runs while qualifying for either list. His 20 triples also led the NL, as did  his 136 RBI (the most RbI in any season on either list.  His 123 runs scored trail only Jimmy Rollins on either list. He was the NL MVP in his 20-20-20 campaign.

The Hall of Famer played in 16 MLB seasons (1922-37 … Cardinals, Reds, Browns), hitting .310-219-1,422,  with 1,177 runs scored and 58 steals. Bottomley led the league in doubles twice, RBI twice, total bases twice and hits, triples, and home runs once each.

Frank Schulte, RF, 1911 Cubs

Photo: Charles M. Conlon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

While Schulte only had 24 home runs in his 20-20-20-20 season, no one else in MLB had more than 16 that year and his 107 RBI led the National League.  (He was the NL MVP in his four-twenty year.) Those 107 RBI tied for third among the seven seasons on the two lists.

Schulte played in 15 MLB seasons (1904-1918 … Cubs, Pirates, Phillies, Nationals), going, .270-92-793, with 906 runs scored and 233 stolen bases.  He led the league in home runs twice and in triples, RBI and  total bases once each. (He did not lead the league in triples in his 20-20-20-20 season.)

George Brett, 3B, 1979 Royals

Brett is all tied up in these stats. Brett’s 212 hits tied for the most in any qualifying season on either list; his 42 doubles also tied for first;  his 107 RBI tied for third; and his 20 triples tied for third (a five-way tie). His .329 average is third and his 119 runs fourth.

The Hall of Famer played in 21 MLB seasons (1973-93 … Royals), going .305-317-1,596, with 1,583 runs scored and 201 steals.  He was a 13-time All Star, a three-time batting champion and the 1980 AL MVP (.390-24-118). He hit over .300 in 11 seasons. Brett led the league in triples three times; batting average three times; hits three times; doubles twice; and total bases once.

Jeff Heath, RF,  1941 Indians

Heath’s .340 batting average was tops in any qualifying 20-20-20-20 or 20-20-20 season, and his 123 RBI were second only to Jim Bottomley’s 1928 qualifying campaign.  Heath’s 199 hits were third among those on the two lists. His 20 triples led the league.

Heath played in 14 MLB seasons (1936-49 … Indians, Browns, Nationals, Braves), going .293-194-887, with 777 runs and 56 stolen bases. The two-time All Star  led the league in triples twice and hit .300 or better in seven seasons. He came close to a 20-20-20-20 season, stealing 18 bases in his 20-20-20 campaign. It was the only time he reached double-digit steals in a season.

Curtis Granderson, CF, 2007 Tigers

Granderson’s 23 triples are the most of any season on either list and his 26 steals are third. Notably, in his qualifying season, he was only caught stealing once. His 74 RBI are the lowest on either list.

Granderson played in 16 MLB seasons (2004-19 … Tigers, Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Brewers, Marlins), going .249-344-937, with 1,217 runs scored and 153 steals. He was a three-time All Star and led the league in triples twice, runs scored once and RBI once. He had four seasons of 100+ runs scored; two of 100+ RBI; four of 30 or more home runs (two of forty or more); and three of 20 or more steals.

Primary Resource: Stathead.com

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

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Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.

P 1183

It’s time again for Baseball Roundtable’s Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” one-of-a-kind MLB accomplishments or statistics.

This week, we are looking at a couple of “almost unicorns” – the only two MLB pitchers to win twenty games in a season in which they logged an earned run average of 5.00 or higher. They are Bobo Newsom of the 1938 St. Louis Browns (20-16, 5.08) and Ray Kremer of the 1930 Pirates (20-12, 5.02).

Let’s take a look at their twenty-and-five+ seasons and MLB careers.

Bobo Newsom

In 1938, when Bobo Newsom went 20-16, 5.08 he was a workhorse, leading the league in starts. complete games and innings pitched. He also led the AL in hits allowed (334), home runs allowed (30) and earned runs allowed (186). His 5.08 earned run average – the highest ever for an MLB 20-game winner, however,  was not that far above the American League overall ERA of 4.79.

Newsom got solid support from his offense. In the games Newsom started, the Browns scored 5.4 runs per contest, while in games not started by Newsom, they averaged 4.6 runs per game.  And, in Newsom’s 20 victories, the Browns tallied 131 runs (6.6 per game). Times were, of course, different then. Consider: In the first game of a doubleheader on June 19, Newsom took the mound (in St. Louis) versus a tough Yankees’ lineup (led by the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig and Bill Dickey). Newsom went the distance, giving up nine runs on nine  hits and eight walks – and earned a win, as his Browns prevailed 10-9.  (No pitch counts available.) The Yankees, by the way, used three pitchers in the matchup against Newsom.

Another stat The Roundtable found of interest: 16 pitchers recorded decisions for the Browns in 1938, and every one but Newsom lost more games than they won.

In 1938, Bobo Newsom’s 20 wins ranked second in the American League (the only other AL pitcher with at least 20 victories was Red Ruffing, with a 21-7, 3.31 record for the eventual 1938 World Series Champion Yankees).  Newsom’s 5.08 earned run average ranked 25^th among American Leaguers qualifying for the ERA title.  Ruffing’s 3.31 ranked second.

Newsom’s 5.08 ERA was the highest of his 20-season MLB career (excluding his 1921 debut season, when he only pitched 9 1/3 innings). He followed up that 1938 season, with a 20-11, 3.58 campaign for the Browns and Tigers. A true “journeyman,” in his MLB career, Newsom took the mound for the Nationals, Browns, Athletics, Robins (Dodgers), Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees, Giants, and Cubs – going 211-222, 3.98 in 600 appearances (483 starts) with 246 complete games and 31 shutouts.

Bobo Newsome was a three-time 20-game winner (twenty wins in 1938 and 1939 and 21 wins in 1940) and also a three-time 20-game loser (twenty losses in 1934, 1941 and 1945). He led his league in losses four times.

A couple of other Newsom tidbits:

• On September 18, 1934 Newsom pitched nine no-hit innings in a start for the Browns against the Red Sox (he had given up one run on two walks and an error in the second). The game was tied 1-1 after nine and Newsom lost the no-hitter, and the game, on two walks and single in the tenth.
• In the 1940 World Series (Tigers versus Reds), Newsom, pitching for the Tigers, went 2-1, 1.38, pitching three complete games. He won Game One 7-2; pitched a three-hit shutout to win Game Five’ and, in Game Seven, on one days rest, went the distance in a 2-1 loss.
• Newsom is one of only two pitchers in MLB history – and the only one who pitched entirely in the Modern Era – with at least 200 wins and more losses than wins. (The other is Jack Powell, who went 245-255, 2.97 from 1897 through 1912.

———————————————————

Ray Kremer

Ray Kremer’s path to the majors was a challenging one.  But once he got there, he made the most of it – including two 20-win seasons and a victory in Game Seven of a World Series.  But, I’m getting ahead of the story here.

Kremer was a California native (that will come into play later) who was considered a big-time prospect and began his professional career in 1914 (as a 19-year-old) with the Sacramento Wolves of the Pacific Coast League before being signed by the New York Giants and making his way to his first MLB Spring Training in 1916. Unfortunately, health concerns (reportedly rheumatism) derailed his career and, after making an off-and-on recovery, Kremer was back in his home state and in the Pacific Coast League in 1917, where he developed into a durable and effective starter (winning 61 games between 1921 and 1923).  Still, major-league scouts had concern about his past health issues and as Gregory Wolf reports in his Society for American Baseball Research Kremer bio, “Kremer acquired a reputation as a ‘warm weather’ pitcher, which deterred major league teams from offering him a chance in spring training.”

Finally, in 1923, the Pirates made a deal with the Oakland Oaks and (long story short), Kremer made his MLB debut on April 18, 1924 (about a month shy of his 30^th birthday). That first MLB season, MLB rookie Kremer made the Pirates’ decision look good (and pitched like a veteran) – going 18-10, 3.19 and leading the NL in appearances 41 (30 starts) and in shutouts with four.  In the six seasons from 1924 through 1929, Kramer went 107-55, 3.46, leading the league once in wins, once in winning percentage and twice in earned run average.

Then came that  (then unicorn) 1930 season, when he went 20-12. 5.02, becoming the first pitcher to win 20 games with an earned run average of 5.00 or higher.  That year, he led the NL in wins (tied), starts and innings pitched, as well as in hits and home runs allowed. There were some extenuating circumstances.  That season six of the eight NL teams hit over .300 and the league had an overall .303 average. In fact, Kremer’s 5.02 ERA was pretty close to the league average of 4.97. Also , the Pirates hit .303 as a team and Kremer won nine games in which he gave up five or more runs. Overall, in the games Kremer started, the Pirate scored 6.6 runs per game, as opposed to 5.5 in the games he didn’t start.  Still, while Kramer tied for the league lead in wins,  his ERA was 25^th among NL qualifiers.   By comparison, Dazzy Vance had a 2.61 ERA (lowest among qualifiers), but went 17-15.

After his 20-win, 5.02 season (his  age-35 season), Kremer’s fortunes seemed to decline. From 1931 through 1933 (his final MLB season), he went 16-18, 3.96.  In his first seven MLB seasons, Krm,er went 127-67, 3.72 (averaging 18 wins a season), He finished with a career line of 143-85, 3.76, in 308 appearance (247 starts), with 134 complete games and 14 shutouts.

In the 1925 World Series, won by the Pirates (over the Nationals four games-to-three), Ray Kremer went 2-1, 3.00.  He started and lost Game Three giving up four runs in a complete-game 4-3 loss. He then pitched a complete game, six-hitter for a 3-2 win in Game Six and came back on one day’s rest to pitch four innings (one run) to pick up the win in Game Seven (a 9-7  Pirates’ victory).

Primary Resources:  Stathead.com; Ray Kremer Society for American Baseball Research bio, by Gregory H. Wolf; Bobo Newsom, Society for American Baseball Research Bio, by Ralph Berger.

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

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Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.

P 1182

The calendar has turned over to August, and that means it’s time for Baseball Roundtable’s July Wrap up – a look at the stats and stories that caught The Roundtable’s attention over the past month, as well as The Roundtable’s Players and Pitchers of the Month, Trot Index and more.  (Note: Regular readers know I usually publish this post on the first of the month, but family obligations took precedence.) I should add right up front that I slightly lowered at-bat and innings-pitched minimums to make the monthly leader lists to reflect the All Star break.

Here are just a few of this month’s highlights that you will find in this post:

• The season’s first triple play (Marlins);
• A player with a record-tying  12 consecutive hits (Tyler Tolbert);
• An Ultimate “Ultimate Grand Slam” (Kody Clemens);
• A cycle (Tristan Peters);
• A team (Tigers) scoring in every inning in a game in which they didn’t allow the opposition to score in any inning;
• Nolan Arenado‘s 2,000th hit;
• A catcher (Kyle Higashioka) on the mound, pitching to a pitcher (Victor Mederos);
• An Immaculate Inning (Gavin Williams);
• An $11-million-dollar baseball card (Shohei Ohtani);
• A 15-game winning streak (Red Sox); and
• Much more.

Read on to the Highlights Sections stories.

—Roundtable Players and Pitchers of the Month for July—

National League 

Player of the Month – CJ Abrams, SS, Nationals

Some tough choices here.  I took a long look at  the Pirates’ Nick Gonzalez’ .388 average and 40 July hits  (both highest among NL players with at least 60 July at bats), as well as Cardinals’ RF Jordan Walker and and Nationals’ RF James Wood  (the only MLB players to both score and drive in at least 20 runs during the month).  Ultimately, I went with National’s SS CJ Abrams, who put together an all-around solid month.

Abrams hit  .348 in July, his ten July roundtrippers led MLB, as did his .742 slugging percentage (among players with at least 60 July at bats). He also drove in 23 July runs, third-best in MLB. His line for the month was .348-10-23, with 17 runs scored and six stolen bases (in seven attempts). When you can get that kind of production out of your SS (and iu a short month … All Star break), you’ve got to be happy. In the course of the month, Abrams had seven multi-hit and seven multi-RBI games.  Just 25-years-old, Abrams is already in his fifth MLb season (and is a two-time All Star).

Honorable Mentions.  Pirates’ infielder Nick Gonzales led MLB with 40 hits in July (in 25 games), going .388-3-14, with 17 runs scored. His .388 average was highest among National  Leaguers with at least 60 July at bats. He recorded a base hit in all but three July games and had 15 multi-hit games.   As noted earlier a pair of NL right fielders each notched at least 20 runs scored AND 20 RBI in the month. The Nationals’ James Wood went .293-9-20, with an NLB -topping 26 July runs scored; while the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker went .260-4-21, with 20 runs scored.

Pitcher of the Month – Chris Sale, LHP, Braves

Going with the 37-year-old veteran (and 2024 Cy Young Award winner) Chris Sale  here. Sale tied for the MLB lead in July wins with four (no losses). In his five starts, he put up a 2.00 earned run average and his tidy 0.81 WHIP was fourth-best among NLers with at least 20 July innings. He fanned 34 batters in 27 innings, walked only four and held hitters to a .186 average.   In his final two starts of the month, he fanned 20 batters in 12 innings, while walking just one.

Honorable Mentions: The Cubs’ Matthew Boyd went 3-0, 1.67 in five starts, put up a 0.99 WHIP and .198 average against.  I cannot leave out the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski, who just keeps breaking velocity records for starting pitchers and, in July, put up a 0.67 WHIP, .171 average against and fanned 39 batters, while walking (read carefully here) just one. The Miz’ final line was 2-1, 2.14 in four starts.  I also looked a the Phillies Jesus Luzardo, who went 3-1, 2.59 in five starts – and fanned 41 (third-highest in the NL), while walking just eight. Zack Wheeler (2-1, 3.90) deserves a mention for leading the NL in strikeouts 49 (in 27 2/3 July innings), while walking just four.

American League

Player of the Month – Yordan Alvarez, DH, Astros

Photo: Ken Lund on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop), CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Yordan Alvarez’ July stat line was .360-9-22. He led the AL in home runs, RBI (the oly AL player to reach 20) and total bases (54). Alvarez was also  second in the AL hits (31). Alvarez had 11 multi-hit games during the month and, from July 10 through July 24, had a 10-game hitting streak during which he went .486 (18-for-37), with five home runs and ten RBI.

Honorable Mentions: Guardians’ LF Steven Kwan put up the highest July average (among players with at least 60 July at bats (.390) – going 30-for-77. Surprisingly, Kwan drove in just six runs and scored only ten during the month. Red Sox’ CF Ceddanne Rafaela led the AL in hits (33), put up a .303 average, and tied for second in RBI (19), as well as swiping five bases in five tires. Astros’ SS Jeremy Pena, went .381-6-13, with 17 runs scored in just 15 games.

A Little Extra

I want to mention a couple of players who had less than the 60 at bats the Roundtable set as a floor for consideration in this section. Royals’ SS Tyler Tolbert had just 40 at bats in 18 games, but he collected 17 hits (.425 average), with three homers and seven RBI.  Astro’s 3B Joshua Kuroda-Grauer went 22-for-53 in 14 games – for a .415 average, with one homer, three RBI and seven runs scored. 

Pitcher of the Month – Dylan Cease, RHP, Blue Jays

Another veteran here, the 30-year-old Dylan Cease went 3-1 for the Blue Jays (who went 11-13 on the month), averaging just over seven innings per start. Cease’s 1.00 earned run average was second in the AL among pitchers with at least 20 July innings; his 0.72 WHIP was also second; and his .1125 average against was third. His 36 innings pitched were second in MLB. On July 25, he threw a complete game, one-hit shutout against one of the hottest teams in baseball – the Red Sox, who were 21-4 in July. 

Honorable Mentions: The Twins Taj Bradley went 3-1, 2.92 in July. His 37 July innings led MLB and his 48 strikeouts were third. He held hitters to a .189 average over the month.  Red Sox’ closer Aroldis Chapman made 12 appearances in July and came away with ten saves (in ten opportunities) amd two wins, pitching to a 0.75 earned run average.

—Surprise Player Of the Month—

Jake Bennett, LHP, Red Sox 

The 25-year-old rookie lefthander tied for the MLB lead in July wins, going 4-1, 2.20 in five starts, showing considerable mound savvy. He didn’t fan that many hitters (21 in 32 2/3 innings), but he walked only four and gave up just one home run. Bennett was probably less of a surprise to BoSox fans than to The Roundtable.  He was  2022 second-round draft pick (Nationals) out of the University of Oklahoma, where he went 17-7, 4.30 over three seasons.   Bennett spent two years in the Nationals’ farm system (had Tommy John Surgery in 2023) before being acquired by the Red Sox in a trade of prospects last December. He was called up to make his  his MLB debut May 1 (at the time he was 3-2, 1.60 at Triple-A).   In May and June, he went 2-3, 3.27 in six starts for the Red Sox. Then, in June, he found himself tied atop the MLB victory leaderboard.  Looking like a very good trade.

Honorable Mentions: Let’s just say that I was surprised to see that the only two players to reach 25 RBI in July were both rookies: Reds’ 22-year-old 1B  Sal Stewart (.250-7-25) and  Pirates’ 22-year-old RF Esmerlyn Valdez (.250-08-25).  Another surprise was Royals’ RH Randy Dobnak, putting up a 1.04 earned run average over 26 July innings. Coming into 2026 Dobnak had a 9-12, 4.86  record over five MLB seasons (2019-21, 2024-25). In his professional career (2017-25), he had had spent one full season and parts of four seasons in the major leagues (all with the Twins) and all or part of eight seasons in the minor leagues.  He had pitched in just six MLB games since 2021.  He started the 2026 season in the Mariner’s system and was 5-5, 4.24 at Triple-A  before being sent to the Royals for cash considerations, The Royals called the 31-year-old up to the majors after two start at Triple-A Omaha.  He made his debut for the Royals July 2 and finished the month at 1-0, 1.04, allowing just three runs over 26 innings,  The Roundtable applauds that perserverane and wishes this former Twinm the besstd goinmg forward as a Royal.

 ____________________________________________________

THE TROT INDEX … A REGULAR BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE FEATURE

Through July 31,  35.1% of the MLB season’s 125,041  plate appearances ended in a trot (back to the dugout, around the bases, to first base). We’re talking about strikeouts, home runs, walks, hit by pitch and catcher’s interference – all outcomes that are, basically, devoid of action on the base paths or in the field. Here’s the breakout: strikeouts (22.4%); walks (8.9%); home runs (3.1%); HBP (1.1%); catcher’s interference (less than 1%). 

The 35.1% is up  from the 34.4% through July of 2025. I also looked into full-year Trot Index figures for the years I have been a fan: 34.9% in 2024; 30.3% in 2010; 29.9% in 2000; 31.7% in 1990; 23.1% in 1980; 27.0% in 1970; 25.1% in 1960; and 22.8% in 1950.

_____________________________

Red Sox Ready To Rumble

The most remarkable performance of the month came from the Red Sox, who went 21-4 and whose .840 winning percentage was the best for any calendar month in franchise history.  At the plate, the charge was led by CF Ceddanne Rafeala (.303-5-19, with 17 runs scored) and 1B Willson Contreras (.323-4-14, with 14 runs scored). Overall, the Red Sox had five players with ten or more RBI, five with 10 or more runs scored; and three with at least five home runs.  LF Jarren Duran drove in 17 runs, despite a .210 average and only one home run; while RF Wilyer Abreu hit only .186 in 25 games, but made it count, with six home runs and 14 RBI.  On the mound, rookie Jake Bennett went 4-1, 2.20  in five starts; veteran Sonny Gray went 4-1, 3.60; and Aroldis Chapman appeared in 12 games, picking up ten saves and two wins (0.75 earned run average for the month.)

The Red Sox surge was built around a 15-game winning streak (July 3-22) – tying the longest  unbeaten streak in franchise history. For those with an interest in such things, the run of victories included: nine away and ten home games; three one-run victories; three shutouts; and just one  extra-inning contest. During the streak the Red Sox scored five or more runs in 12 games and gave up two or fewer run in ten. Overall, the Red Sox outscored their opponents 88-32.   They dominated on the mound and at the plate.  During the streak, the pitching staff put up a 2.37 earned run average to the opponents’ 5.40, and fanned 125 batters to the opponents’ 119. At the plate BoSox hit .327, with 23 home runs to the opponents’ .201 and 11 homers.

An Anomoly

In July, the Nationals led the  National League in: batting average; home runs; stolen bases; total bases; walks; on-base percentage; and slugging percentage.  (They were second in runs scored.) Still, they only went 11-13.  Ah, there was that pesky NL-worst 5.22 earned run average (5.22). 

——-Team Statistical Leaders July  2026 ———-

RUNS SCORED

National League – Braves (144); Nationals (142); Cubs (139)

American League – Red Sox (128); Tigers (126); Astros (119)

The fewest runs in July were scored by the Angels (75). In the National League, it was the Phillies (94).    

AVERAGE

National League – Nationals (.279); Padres (.269); Pirates (.267)

American League – Rangers (.253); Red Sox (.252); Tigers (.252)

The lowest team average for July belonged to the Mariners and Cardinals, both at .216.  

HOME RUNS

National League – Nationals (50); Braves (42); Reds (39)

American League – Astros (38); Rangers (35); Rays (34); Tigers (34)

The fewest home runs in July were hit by the Angels (16). The Cardinals were at the bottom of the NL at 22.

TOTAL BASES

National League – Nationals (442); Braves (407); Pirates (375)

American League – Rays (378); Tigers (361); Rangers (355); Red Sox (355)

The Nationals led MLB in July Slugging Percentage at .532. The Rangers led the AL at .443. The Nat’s were the only team to slug at least .500.

DOUBLES

National League – Brewers (59); Cubs (48); Nationals (46)

American League – Royals (49); White Sox (46); Red Sox (44)

TRIPLES

National League – Brewers (8); Rockies (7); Nationals (7)

American League – Tigers (7); Twins (6); Rays (5)

 STOLEN BASES

National League – Nationals (34); Brewers (29); Padres (27)

American League – Guardians (33); Rays (29); Royals (19); Yankees (19)

The Tigers stole the fewest sacks in July at four  – in an MLB-low seven attempts. The Braves were at the bottom of the NL with seven – in eight attempts.

WALKS DRAWN

National League – Nationals (108); Brewers (104); Padres (97)

American League – Orioles (102); Red Sox (88); Guardians (82)

The Nationals led MLB in July on-base percentage at .363. The Red sox led the NL at .337. The Yankees had MLB’s lowest July OBP at .281.  The Cardinals were at the bottom of the NL at .285. 

BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS

National League – Reds (245); Pirates (238); Braves (226)

American League – Yankees (250); Guardians (217); Angels (217)

Blue Jays’ batters fanned the fewest times in July (150). The Nationals fanned the fewest times in the NL at 185.

__________________________________________________

EARNED RUN AVERAGE

National League – Cubs (3.74); Diamondbacks (3.74);  Reds (3.81)

American League – Red Sox (2.91); Yankees (3.03); Tigers (3.04)

The A’s had the highest July ERA at 6.61.  The Nationals had the NL’s highest ERA at 5.22.  Also over 5.00 were the Rangers (5.70) and Rockies (5.02).

The seven lowest July ERAs belonged to AL teams. 

STRIKEOUTS

National League – Phillies (246); Pirates (239); Brewers (237)

American League – Yankees (249); Guardians (236); White Sox (233)

The Phillies averaged an MLB-best 10.63 strikeouts per nine innings in July (the only team to average in double digits). The Yankees averaged an AL-best 9.79.  Eleven teams averaged nine whiffs per nine or better.

FEWEST WALKS SURRENDERED

National League –   Brewers (63); Cubs (68); Diamondbacks (70)

American League – Mariners (52); Red Sox (60); Rays (61)

The Mariners walked an MLB-lowest 2.25 batters per nine innings in July.   The Athletics walked an MLB-worst 4.92 batters per nine frames.

SAVES

National League –Braves (10); Cubs (9); three with eight

American League – Red Sox (13); Rays (11); Orioles (10); Yankees (10)

The Braves blew the most saves in July  – seven (in 17 opportunities). 

Walks+ Hits/Innings Pitched (WHIP)

National League – Brewers (1.13); Dodgers (1.25); Reds (1.26)

American League:  Rays (1.02); Yankees (1.12); Tigers (1.13)

Bonus Stats:

• The A’s gave up an MLB-high 45 home runs in July. The Cardinals gave up an MLB-low 18 home runs.
• Rays’ pitchers held opponents to an MLB-low .209 average in July. The Rockies’ staff was touched for an MLB-high .291 average.
• The Brewers’ strikeouts-to-walks ratio for July topped MLB at 3.76. The Athletics had MLB’s worst ratio at 1.87.

—–JULY 2026 HIGHLIGHTS—–

Out Of order, But Deserving

Okay, The Roundtable usually presents these highlights in date order, but this is one I really felt deserved to be moved to the top of the list. It involves the Royals’ 28-year-old utility player/pinch runner Tyler Tolbert. Tolbert came into the season (his second on the big-league roster), with a .280 average over 64 MLB games (and a .245 average over six minor-league seasons). Tolbert started this season with the Royals, but was sent back down to Triple-A on April 19 (after just five plate appearances) and then called back up to the Royals on May 22. Long story short, he looked to serve primarily as a pinch runner and defensive replacement.

As of July 1, he had appeared in 29 games for the Royals this season, hitting .200-0-1 in 35 at bats. But Tolbert was about to unleash some offensive fireworks … starting appropriately with a game on the Fourth of July.

Here’s a run down:

• July 4, in a Royals 6-1 loss to the Phillies (in Kansas City), Tolbert started RF, batting ninth. He beat out an infield single in the bottom of the third inning; recorded a groundball single in the hole to RF in the fifth; was removed for a pinch hitter in the seventh.
• July 5, did not play in a 5-2 win over the Phillies.
• July 6, as the Royals swamped the Phillies 15-1, Tolbert, at SS and batting seventh: Beat out a groundball single (to SS) in the first inning; lashed a double to CF in the third; led off the fifth with a home run; added an infield single in the sixth; and a single to center in the eighth.
• July 7, as the Royals topped the Mets 16-12 in New York, Tolbert, in RF batting ninth; hit a two-run homer in the second; rapped a single to right field in the fourth; beat out a groundball single (to 3B) in the fifth; recorded another groundball single (to SS) in the sixth; collected another groundball single (to SS) in the seventh; flied out to right in the ninth.

Now, if you were reading closely, you will see that Tolbert, again hitting just .200-0-1 gaining into the July 4 game, ran off a string of 12 consecutive hits in 12 plate appearances. Tolbert’s hits-in-consecutive-plate-appearances streak tied the MLB record – a feat achieved only twice before in MLB history (Walt Dropo, Tigers, 1952 and Johnny Kling, Cubs, 1901).  Jose Miranda (2024 Twins) and Pinky Higgins (1938 Red Sox) also collected 12 hits in 12 consecutive at bats (but not 12 consecutive plate appearances).

At the end of the July 7 game, Tolbert’s stat line was .396-2-5.  He finished July at .333-6-14 on the season.

Oh, Come On!!!

On July 5, Marlins’ righty Eury Perez was cruising to a win over the Athletics (in Sacramento). After seven innings, The Marlins were up 8-0 … AND Perez had fanned eight and was yet to allow a baserunner.  He was 92 pitches and seven innings into a perfect game. And, this point, Marlins’ Manager Clayton McCullough decided to pull Perez (in his third start since coming back from a leg strain) from the game.

MLB.com reported it was just the third time in the Modern ERA that a pitcher had been pulled from a game with a perfect game intact after at least seven innings.  The other two were the Dodgers’ Rich Hill (September 19, 2016) and Clayton Kershaw (April 13, 2022). In both previous cases, the manager was Dave Roberts (so at least, McCullough took Roberts a little off the hook).

I was at the Kershaw game (April 13, 2022 against my Twins at Target Field). As I reported on this blog then, I joined both Twins and Dodgers fans in voicing my displeasure with the move by  Dodger Manager Roberts. The reason given was a desire to protect Kershaw ‘s arm early in the season after a lockout and short Spring Training. (I should note that in none of these three games resulted a combined perfecto – or even a no-hitter – being completed.  In fact, in the Perez’ game, the Marlins had to hang on for a 9-8 victory.)

Here, I will repeat my comment after witnessing the pulling of Kershaw with a Perfecto intact “I found myself trying to imagine what would have happened  in the same situation with the likes of Jack Morris, Bob Gibson or Don Drysdale on the bump.”

Do We Get Overtime For This?

On July 6, The Dodgers played their 92nd game of the season, picking up their 60th win. But that game and victory were different in all that went before them in 2026. That 60th victory took 11 innings, ending on a walk-off single by C Dalton Rushing – and it marked an end to the Dodgers’ first extra-inning game of the season.

#InBaseballWeCountEvreythuing. The Elias Sports Bureau reports that this is the second-most games before an extra-inning contest in any season. On July 25, 2005, the Red Sox lost to the Devil Rays (they were the Devil Rays back then) 4-3 in ten innings, their first extra-inning game (and 99th game) of the season. The Red Sox, by the way, went extra innings again, the very next game, a 10-inning 10-9 win over Tampa. They, in fact, played eight extra-inning games in their last 63 contests that season (after zero extra innings in their first 98 games).

An Exercise in Futility

On June 6 and 7, while splitting a pair of Games to the Rays in Tampa, the Yankees set a new franchise record for strikeouts in two consecutive games (34) – fanning 17 times in each one.  Key among the culprits were 1B Paul Goldschmidt (seven strikeouts in eight plate appearances over the two games), LF Cody Bellinger (five strikeouts in eight PA), SS Jose Caballero (four strikeouts in seven PA) and 2B Jazz Chisholm, Jr. (four strikeouts in seven plate appearances).

In the first game, a 5-1 Yankees’ win, Caballero was the only Yankee starter not to whiff at least once, and six of the starters recorded multiple strikeouts. In the second game, a 6-4 Yankee loss, Goldschmidt and Caballero each fanned four times in four plate appearances.

More (Sho)hei Time

On July 7, as the Dodgers lost to the Rockies by a 4-3 score (in LA), DH Shohei Ohtani rapped his 20th home run of the season, a solo shot of Mike Lorenzen, leading off the bottom of the first inning. While it didn’t lead to a Yankee win, it was a significant blow – Ohtani’s 300th MLB career homer.  The blast came in his 1,102st career MLB game.  The Elias Sports Bureau indicated the only players to get to 300 faster are: Aaron Judge (953 games); Ralph Kiner (1,086); Ryan Howard (1,091) and Juan Gonzalez (1,093).

It also made Ohtani just the second player to leadoff a game for this team with a 300th career blast (joining Steve Finley). And, of course, one must keep in mind that Ohtani also has recorded 755 strikeouts as a pitcher. Only one other player with at least 300 home runs has at least 500 punchouts as a pitcher (Babe Ruth at 501). Third on the list is Jimmie Foxx with 11 strikeouts as a moundsman.

Coming Out Hot

On July 7, as the Pirates crushed the Braves 12-4 in Pittsburgh, Pirates’ 1B Ryan O’Hearn came out hot.

• In the bottom of the first, he hit a Grand slam off Braves’ starter Hurston Waldrep;
• In the third frame, he took Waldrep deep again, a three-run shot this time;
• In the fourth, he grounded out (off reliever Connor Thomas), with two on and one out;
• In the sixth, he torched Thomas for his second three-run dinger of the game.

At this point, O’Hearn had driven in all ten Pirate runs (they led 10-2). And, with three innings left to play, the MLB records of four homers in a game and 12 RBI in a game were a possibility.  He got one more hit – a single of Jorge Mateo in the eighth – but still an unforgettable day at the plate.

For those who like to know such things, 17 players have recorded ten or more RBI in a game and, of those, 11 hit three or more home runs in the contest.  Mark Whiten’s is the most notable of these offensive outbursts. On September 7, 1993, Whiten had a game in which he tied the record for homers in a game (4) AND the record for RBI in a game (12). He’s the only player to reach both those marks in the same contest.

Feel Good Story For July

On July 9, 26-year-old, Eduardo Valencia made his MLB debut – pinch-hitting for Tiger’s DH Kerry Carpenter, leading off the bottom of the seventh inning, with his Tigers ahead of the Athletics 3-1. It was a BIG moment for Valencia, in his eighth professional season (he signed with the Tigers, out of Venezuela, as an 18-year-old in 2018), having hit .273-52-262 in 439 minor-league games . When he weas called up, the C-1B was hitting .267-16-49 at Triple-A Toledo (following a breakout .311-24-95 season at Double-A and Triple-A in 2025). His trip to The Show has not been an easy one, interrupted by hamstring injuries, Tommy John surgery and hand surgery.

Well, if making the BIGs, was BIG, Valencia made it even BIGGER. In that first MLB  plate appearance, he hit a 2-1 pitch from the Athletics Hogan Harris for a 425-foot home run to center field He came up once more in the game, with two out and one on in the eighth, and got a different kind of introduction to the major leagues – being hit by a pitch from Mark Leiter, Jr.

Getting A Running Start

On July 12, Rockies’ RF Jake McCarthy popped his tenth home run of the 2026 season.  He did not, however, enjoy a leisurely trot around the bases.  The four-bagger was an inside-the-parker, leading off the game (top of the first), on a 0-1 pitch from the Giants’ Trevor McDonald. (It would be the only run plated by the Rockies, who dropped a 3-1 decision  to the Giants.  But that’s not what made the running four-bagger a highlight.  The roundtripper was McCarthy’s second lead-ff inside-the-park home run of the season.  One June 20, He led off the bottom of the first (of  a 2-1 Rockies’ home win over the Pirates) with an inside-the-park home run off a 2-1 pitch from Pirates’ ace Paul Skenes. It made McCarthy the first player to notch a pair of leadoff inside-the-park homers in the same season since Edd Roush (yes, it has two d’s) in 1929. Side Note: McCarthy indicated he had not had an inside-the-park homer at any level until this season. That, indeed, makes it a Highlight.

A Bicycle with a Banana Seat

On July 10, as the White Sox rippled the Athletics 14-1 in Chicago. ChiSox CF Tristan Peters (hitting in the nine-hole), had quite the day. Peters, who played for the Savannah Bananas in 2021, delivered like this:

• Bottom of the third inning … Double to CF off Aaron Civale;
• Bottom of the fifth … Groundball single (Civale);
• Bottom of the seventh … Two-run home run off Justin Sterner AND an RBI-triple off Mason Barnett.

Yep, a four-for-four day, with a cycle.  It was, by the way, the third cycle of 2026: Peters; Bryce Harper, Phillies (June 20); and Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs (June 15).

Well, That’ll Turn Your Season Around

Nationals’ 1B Andre Chaparro came into the Nats’ July 17 game against the Athletics (in Sacramento), hitting .167-1-7 on the season (31 games) and with just  five hits and three RBI since July 1 (19 games.) Then, as the Nationals trounced the Athletics 23-4, Chaparro (oddly, still batting in the three-hole), went four-for-five, with two home runs, a walk,  four runs scored and eight RBI.  So, to that point in the season, that one game saw Chaparro collect: 23.5% of his total hits on the season; 23.5% of his total runs scored; 66.6% of his total home runs; and 53.3% of  his total RBI.  Not a bad day at the office.  (Of course, it was  at Sutter Health Park.)

A Little Role Reversal or “DH? I don’t need no stinkin’ DH”

On July 17, with the Braves leading the Rangers 12-0 in the top of the eighth (in Atlanta), Braves’ skipper Walt Weiss decided to give his All Star position players a little “time off.”  So, C Joey Bart (batting in the leadoff spot) replaced All Star C Drake Baldwin; Jorge Mateo (batting in the two-hole) replaced All Star 2B Ozzie Albies and starting DH Dominic Smith (staying in the six-hole) moved over to 1B, replacing All Star Matt Olson at 1B. That third move  (Smith’s move from DH) meant the Braves lost their DH and new pitcher Victor Mederos took a spot in the batting order (Olson’s number-three spot).  Fate stepped in to make it a memorable move.

It was a lopsided game and the Rangers brought in a position player (catcher Kyle Higashioka) to pitch the bottom of the eighth. (It was Higashioka’s third “pitching” appearance of the season. ) As fate would have it, Maderos was slated to bat sixth in the inning and the Braves went: home run, (Austin Riley); groundout (Jim Jarvis); walk (Brewer Hicklen); line out (Bart); ground rule double (Mateo).  This brought Mederos to the plate with runners on second and third and two out.  So, we now had a catcher on the mound and a pitcher at the plate. Maderos responded (using Olson’s bat and batting gloves) to this role reversal by hitting a 42 MPH,  1-1 offering from Higashioka past Rangers’ 3B Josh Jung for a two-run single.

Champions Are Always Ready

On July 18, the Chicago Cubs invited member the Cubs 2016 World Series Champion team to take part in the christening of a new Champions Gate” monument outside Wrigley Field – and then, later, the champion teammates settled in to enjoy the game (versus the Twins) in the right field bleachers. In the bottom of the first inning, Cubs’ 1B Michael Busch blasted a homer to deep right field off Twins starter Taj Bradley. Who should catch the long ball? None other than Anthony Rizzo, first baseman for that 2016 World Series Championship team. Rizzo held the ball aloft – along with his toddler son – as his 2016 teammates and Chicago fans cheered and applauded his effort. Seem like a highlight to me.

Oh, and the Cubs won the game 6-2.

Complete Game, Always A Highlight

On July 19, Dodgers’ righty  Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw his first-ever MLB Regular season  complete game, tossing a four-hitter (two runs, no walks, seven strikeouts), as the Dodgers topped the Yankees 8-2 in New York.  Yamamoto used 102 pitches (69 strikes ) to complete the gem, which came in his 66^th MLB regular-season start. It ran his 2026 record to 10-6, 2.78 in 18 starts. As July closed out, MLB had seen a total of 12 complete games this season.

Why did I use the modifier regular-season to describe Yamamoto’s  July complete game? Notably, last year, Yamamoto pitched a complete game in the National League Championship and another in the World Series, making him just one of two pitchers (the other is Josh Beckett) to throw their first two MLB complete games in the post-season.

Hunting The Long Ball

On July 19, Rockies’ C Hunter Goodman went three-for-four, with three runs scored and five RBI, as Colorado lost to the  Reds 9-6 in Colorado. Notably, three of his hits were home runs, giving him 30 on the season and marking his second three-homer game of the season (the first was in an 8-5 win over the Twins at Target Field) on June 27. The July 19^th performance made him the first Rockies’ player with two three-homer games in a season. Hunter finished July with a .251-31-60 stat line on the season. Notably, despite Coors Fields reputation as a hitters’ paradise, 18 of Goodman’s 31 2026 long balls have come on the road.

2,000 for Nolan

On July 20, in Diamondbacks 5-2 loss to the Athletics, Arizona 3B Nolan Arenado collected a fifth-inning  double off Jeffrey Springs (it was Arenado’s only hit in a one-for-four performance). It makes the highlights because it was the 2000^th hit in Arenado’s 14-season MLB career. It also made Arenado one of only six players to amass the combination of at least 2,000 hits, 350 homers and ten Gold Gloves. The other five, by the way, are all in the Baseball Hall of Fame: Willie Mays, Johnny Bench, Al Kaline, Mike Schmidt and Ken Griffey, Jr. Not bad company. For those who like to know such things, Arenado was a Gold Glover at third base in each of his first ten MLB seasons (2013-2022).  Over his first ten seasons, Arenado hit .289, with 1,520 hits,  299 home runs and 968 RBI.

First Triple Play Of The 2026 Season

Phito: Sewageboy, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

On July 21, the Miami Marlins turned the first tuple play of the 2026 MLB season – and it was a true around-the-horn triple killing. In came in the bottom of the eighth with the Astros up 5-3 and Zach “Password” Brzykcy on the  mound for Miami. Astros’ DH Yordan Alvarez led off with a groundball single between first and second (on an Brzykcy’s first pitch).  3B  Isaac Paredes then singled  to center on a 2-2 pitch. Next up was 2B  Jose Altuve, who grounded a 1-0 pitch to Miami third basemen Leo Jimenez, who stepped on the bag for out number-one and then fired to 2B Xavier Edwards for out number-two. Edwards pivoted and fired to  1B Kyle Stower and the triple killing was compete. The Astros, by the way, prevailed in the game 5-3.

What!  Someone Upstaged the “Sho”

Okay, this a little of #InBaseballWeCountEverything. On July 23, as the Blue Jays lost to the Red Sox 6-4 in Fenway Park, Blue Jays ‘ 3B Kazuma Okamoto went two-for-five, with one run scored and three RBI. One of his hits was a seventh-inning, three-run homer, his 23rd home run of the season. That gave Okamoto sole possession of the record for home runs by a Japanese-born player in his rookie MLB season (surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s 22 in 2018.   Okamoto signed with the Blue Jays this January, after 11 seasons in Japan, where he topped 30 home runs in six campaigns, a high of 41 in 2023

Immaculate Inning, But Not Quite Enough

On July 23, Guardians righty Gavin Williams had swing-and-miss stuff, fanning 11 batters (no walks) in seven innings versus the Twins (in Cleveland). In the fourth inning, with the game still tied 0-0, he threw 2026’s second Immaculate Inning (three up- three down – three strikeouts -nine pitches) – fanning Twins’ CF Byron Buxton, C Ryan Jeffers and DH Josh Bell on nine pitches.  He  fanned Buxton on a four-seam fastball, Jeffers on a sweeper and Bell on a sinker (all three went down swinging). Despite Williams’ sterling performance, the Twins prevailed, winning 3-1 in 12 innings. Williams gave up just one run in his seven-inning stint.

Movin’ On Up … with Salvy

On July 25, as the Royals edged the  Tigers 3-2 in Kansas City, Royals’ C/DH Salvador Perez hit his 15th home run of the 2026 season, a solo shot off Kyle Finnegan leading  off seventh (and tying the game at 2-2). For highlights purposes, it was his 318th career home run (all as a Royal), moving him past George Brett for the most career homers by a player in a Royals’ jersey. The 36-year-old Perez, in his 15th MLB season, ended July with a .214-15-45 stat line on the season.

A National(ly) Recognized Figure

On July 26, as the Nationals topped the Diamondbacks 10-7 ats Nationals Park, Nationals’ SS CJ Abrams went three-fo- five with two runs scored and three RBI. Two of his hits were home runs, giving him 27 on the season and the franchise record for the most homers in a season by a SS (previously held by Ian Desmond, with 25 in 2012).

Here We Go Again – Another Bobblehead Day Saga

It seems like every month we find a player delivering on their Bobblehead Day.  This time it was White Sox’ 1B Munetaka  Murakami, who delivered a three-for-five day, with two homers and six RBI July 26, when the White Sox gave away bobblehead commemorating Murakami’s Opening Day home run in Milwaukee. The White Sox, by the way, won the game 12-3.

Murakami signed with the White Sox this pasts off-season after eight seasons in in Japan, where he was a two-time Most Valuable Player and won the Japanese Triple Crown with a .318-56-134 season in 2022.

The Miz Strikes Again

On July 26, in a Brewers 11-2 win over the Rockies, Brewers’ flamethrowing right Jacob Misiorowski fanned the first seven batters he faced (and 12 of the first thirteen). In the five-inning outing, “The Miz” relied on his four-seam fastball (using it on 66 of 83 pitches) – and every single four-seamer reached at least 100 MPH, beating his own record (in the pitch tracking era) of 58 pitches of 100 MPH or more in a single outing.  Misiorowski got the win, running his record to 11-4, 1,58.

Really Small Ball

On July 27, the Astros came to the plate in the top of the ninth trailing the Angels 4-2.  They then mounted a comeback that saw them plate four runs on just one hit.  It went like this:

• CF Taylor Trammell… hit by an 0-1 pitch from Jose Fermin, goes to second on a passed ball, while 1B Christian Walker is at bat;
• Walker singles to center, Trammell goes to third;
• Nick Allen runs for Walker;
• CF Lucas Spence safe on an error by Angels’ second baseman Vaughn Grissom, Trammell scores, Allen to third;
• C Christian Vazquez out (bunting) on a flyball to 1B;

Sam Bachman replaces Fermin on the mound.

• SS Jeremy Pena grounds to third, reaches first base (fielder’s choice) as Allen is retired at home;
• DH Yordan Alvarez is intentionally walked, loading the bases;
• 3B Isaac Parades is hit by a pitch, forcing in a run;
• RF LaMonte wade Jr. walks, forcing in a run, Cam Smith pinch runs for Wade;
• 2B Jose Altuve is safe on an error by the pitcher, another run scores;
• Trammel bats for the second time in the inning and strikes out.

Total: Four runs; one hit; two hit by pitch; two walks; two errors; one passed ball.

The Angels did not score in the bottom of the ninth, with the Astros winning 6-4.

Another Feel Good Story … The Travels, Travails and Trials Of A Ballplayer 

Twenty-nine-year-old Yankees’ catcher Ali Sanchez, who began his professional career in 2014 (as a Mets” farmhand), has been around.  He toiled (Catchers do toil, don’t they?) in the Mets’ farm system until 2020, when he saw action in five MLB games. In 2021, he found himself in the Cardinals’ farm system, seeing  action in just two major-league games. In 2022, he was claimed (off waivers) by the Tigers in June and spent the year at Triple-A (in the Cardinals’ and Tigers’ systems).

In October, after the 2022 season, the Pirates selected him off waivers (from the Tigers) and then in December, he was selected off waivers by the Diamondbacks and spent the 2023 season at Triple-A.

In November 2023, he was again granted free agency and signed with the Pirates in December.

In March of 2024, he was granted free agency and signed with the Cubs, who sold him to the Marlins in June. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, but did take the field for 21 MLB games for the Marlins.

In October 2024, he was again a free agent and, in December,  he signed with the Blue Jays, who granted him free agency June 5, 2025 and then resigned him June 6. In August of that season, he was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox and 13 days later again granted free agency.  Two days after that (August 23), he signed as a free agent with the Mets, who traded him to the Red Sox on August 31. On the season, he appeared in 57 minor-league games and 12 MLB contests (eight for the Blue Jays and four for the Red Sox).

On October 6, 2025, he was again granted free agency and in signed with the Yankees.   At this point in his professional career, he had appeared in just 50 MLB games (for five different teams) and had a stat line of .183-0-4.

The Yankees started Sanchez at Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre and called him up to the big club in early June, with C Austin Wells facing health issues.  Sanchez was hitting  .227-6-11 at Triple-A at the time.) Long story short. Oh never mind, it’s already a long story. On June 27, in his 13^th pro-season and after  737 minor-league games and 75 MLB games, Ali Sanchez hit his first MLB home run in a Yankees’ 9-5 win over the White Sox in Chicago. It was a three-run shot, off a 3-2 pitch from Sean Newcombe, in the top of the eighth inning – a moment Sanchez has waited a long time for and one he’ll never forget. Clearly, Sanchez is a feel-good story of perseverance.

Challenges: You  Win Some, You Lose Some – and Sometimes You Even Lose the Ones You Win

In the first inning of a Guardians/Reds doubleheader (in Cincinnatti), the Guardians got off to a fast start, quickly loading the bases with one out in the top of the first (groundout, single, error, walk). A flyout to short centre was next and the Reds’ were so very close to escaping with no damage. That brought up Guardians’ 1B Kyle Manzardo to face Reds’ starter Chase Burns. Monzardo worked the count to 2-2, and appeared to be hit on the right hand by a high-and-inside 98.8 MPH  four-seam fastball, forcing in a run and leaving the bases loaded.  However, Reds’ manager Terry Francona challenged the umpire’s call, winning the challenge, sending the runner back to third base and bringing Manzardo (who came into the game hitting .211-11-32) back to the plate.  Manzardo hit the next pitch for his first career Grand Slam and the Guardiana went on to win 6.5. (Sweet justice in my book.)

Tigers Plate At Least  One Run In Every Inning

On July 28, the Tigers ended a three-game losing streak by toppin the Orioles 14-0 in Detroit. They gave the home town fans a treat, scoring in every inning and (per Elias Sports Bureau) becoming just the second team in the Modern Era to sore in every inning in a game in which the opposition did not score in any inning (joining the 1935 Pirates in a September 6 13-0 win over the Dodgers.   In the July 28, game,  the Tigers collected 19 hits (with two home runs from  C Eduardo Valencia and one long ball from 2B Gleyber Torres) and drew four walks.

Rumors Surround Skubal, As He Notches K Number 1,000 As A Tiger

On July 29, with trade deadline rumors flying surrounding his possible departure from Detroit, Tarik Skubal …. facing the Orioles in Detroit … placed an exclamation point on his Tigers’ career.  Skubal went 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits (one walk), while fanning six. His first strikeout of the contest, Orioles’ leadoff hitter/LF Taylor Ward in the top of the first, was Skubal’s 1000^th strikeout as a Tiger.  As of July 31, had notched 1,005 strikeouts in 863 1/3 MLB innings.

Skubal left the game in the top of the seventh, with two men on,  one out and the Bengals leadings 7-1.  The Tigers, expected by many to be sellers at the seadine, went on to lose the game 10-9 in 12 innings.

100 For Torkelson … That Pairs Well With That

In the same game (July 29) that Tarik Skubal notched his 1,000th career MLB strikeout (see Highlight just above), Tiger 1B Spencer Torkelson hit his 20th home run of the season and the 100th of his five-season (1022-26) MLB career.

#InBaseballWeCountEverythning. Sarah Langs (MLB.com) reports that (per Elias Sports Bureau) it is the fourth time time MLB history that a team has seen a player hit his 100th home run and another (on the same team) notch his 1,000th strikeout in the  same game.  The other pairings: Mark Kotsay and Barry Zito, 2006 Athletics; Jay Johnstone and Dick Ruthven, 1983 Cubs; and Dwight Evans and Mike Torrez, 1979 Red Sox.

An Ultimate “Ultimate” Slam

On July 30, at Target Field, the Twins were paying a painful game against the Royals. The Twins hadn’t recorded their first hit until the seventh inning  (a single by C Ryan Jeffers), had surrendered a run on a fielding gaff in the fifth and were facing a 3-0 deficit with two out and no one on base in the ninth (and they still had just the one hit),  Then things took an historic turn. Jeffers was hit by a pitch by the Royals’ Lucas Erceg,

Next up was Twins 2B Royce Lewis, who  singled to shallow center  on a 2-2 pitch (one strike away from defeat).

Next up was DH Josh Bell, who fouled off a couple of pitches (again one strike away from defeat), before drawing a walk.

That brought Matt Strahm in from the bullpen to replace Erceg.

At the plate was RF Kody Clemens and Strahm quickly got ahead of him 0-2, putting the Twins again one strike away from a 3-0 loss.  Clemens, however, hit Strahm’s 0-2 offering to deep right-center for  a Grand Slam home run – known as an “Ultimate  Slam,” defined as a walk-off Grand Slam with your team trailing by three runs.

Thanks primarily to Elias Sport Bureau, it didn’t take long to understand the historic significance of this Ultimate Slam. The big blast:

• Was the 34^th Ultimate Slam in MLB history;
• Was the first Ultimate Slam, since pitch tracking began in 1988, to be hit on a two-out, 0-2 count;
• Was the first time ever that a team, after being held hitless for at least six-plus innings, won a game with a walk-off Grand Slam;
• Made the Twins only the third team in MLB history to hit a walk-off Grand Slam after having bases empty and two out in the final inning.

Icing on the cake. It was Twins’ Manager Derek Shelton‘s 56th birthday birthday.

Oh yes, and luckily, I was at the game, with my brother Bob and buddy Scotty  – a good time was had by all.

Okay, This Is Getting Out Of Hand … An $11 MIllion Baseball Card … And No Bubble Gum

Thanks to Bryan Horowitz (MLB.com) for this reporting. As July reached it’s 31st day, it was reported that a Shohei Ohtani (one-of-0ne) Topps Back to Back Gold Gold Logoman Autograph Relics baseball card (pulled from a Topps Chrome Pack in late July) was sold at auction for $11 million. This comes about eight months after an Ohtani Topps Chrome Logoman Autograph card was sold at auction for $3 million.  For a little background, the Logoman patch cards involve MLB major-award winners wearing a gold MLB logo patch on the back collar of their jerseys. When a player has a momentous game while wearing the patches, those patches are then embedded in a one-of-one Topps card which is autographed by the player. The $11 million card featured two patches:  one worn in an Ohtani two-homer game in September 2025 and another worn when he hit a leadoff homer at Dodger Stadium April 12 of this season.

Too much information. Only two sports cards have sold for more than $11 million: A 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection  Dual Logoman Auto (featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant) at $12.9 million and a 1952 Mickey Mantle ($12.6 million).

—–July 2026 Individual Stats—–

BATTING AVERAGE (at least 60 June at bats)

American League: Steven Kwan, Guardians (.390); Jeremy Pena, Astros (.381); Chandler Simpson, Rays (.365)

National League: Nick Gonzales, Pirates (.388); Curtis Mead, Nationals (.367); Gabriel Moreno, D-backs (.362)

The lowest July average among players with at least 60 at bats belonged to the Orioles’ Leody Taveras at .133 (8-for-60).

HITS

American League: Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox (33); Yordan Alvarez, Astros (31); Chandler Simpson, Rays (31)

National League: Nick Gonzales, Pirates (40); Gabriel Moreno, DibvaCks (34); Michael Harris II, Braves (34)

The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong and Marlins’ Heriberto Hernandez led MLB in July extra-base hits with 16.  (Crow-Armstrong with eight doubles, two triples and six home runs); Hernandez with eight doubles and eight home runs.)

HOME RUNS

American League: Yordan Alvarez, Astros (9); Ben Rice, Yankees (8); Junior Caminero, Rays (7)

National League:  CJ Abrams, Nationals (10); James Wood, Nationals (9); Matt Olson, Braves (9)

The Nationals’ CJ Abrams led all players with at least 60 June at bats in slugging percentage at .742. The Astros’ Yordan Alvarez led the AL at .721.

RUNS BATTED IN

American League: Yordan Alvarez Astros (22); Ben Rice, Yankees (19); Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox  (19)

National League: Sal Stewart, Reds (25); Esmerlyn Valdez, Pirates (25); CJ Abrams, Nationals (23)

RUNS SCORED

American League:  Caleb Durbin, Red Sox (18); Wilyer Abreu, Red Sox (17); Randy Arozarena, Mariners (17);  Jeremy Pena, Astros (17); Miguel Vargas, White Sox (17)

National League: James Wood, Nationals (26); Matt Olson, Braves (21); Jordan Walker, Cardinals (20); JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals (20)

DOUBLES

American League: Miguel Vargas, White Sox 10); Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox (9); Lane Thomas, Royals (8); Andruw Monasterio, Red Sox (8)

National League: Alex Bregman, Cubs (10): Brice Turang, Brewers (9); Garrett Michell, Brewers (9)

TRIPLES

American League:  Kody Clemens, Twins (3); eight with two

National League: Otto Lopez, Marlins (3); Bryson Stott, Phillies (3); Elly De La Cruz, Reds (3)

STOLEN BASES

American League:  Chandler Simpson, Rays (8); Tyler Tolbert, Royals (7); Kahlil Watson, Guardians (7)

National League: Elly De La Cruz, Reds (10); Esteury Ruiz, Marlins  (9); Fernando Tatis, Jr., Padres (7);  Nasim Nunez, Nationals (7)

The Reds’ Esteury Ruiz stole the most July bases without getting caught (9).

BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS

American League:  Carter Jensen, Royals (39); Jazz Chisholm, Jr. Yankees (32); Cal Raleigh, Mariners (32)

National League: Eugenio Suarez, Reds (41); Austin Riley, Braves (40); Esmerlyn Valdez , Pirates (38)

WALKS

American League:  Taylor Ward, Orioles (20); Yordan Alvarez, Astros (17); Jackson Holliday, Orioles (16)

National League: James Wood, Nationals (25); Juan Soto, Mets (18); Drake Baldwin, Braves (17); Ell De La Cruz, Reds (17)

The highest on-base percentage among players with at least 60 July at bats was .488, by the Red Sox’  Willson Contreras. The NL leader was the Nationals’ Curtis Mead at .465.

PITCHING VICTORIES

American League:  Jake Bennett, Red Sox (4-1); Sonny Gray, Red Sox (4-1); 13 with three

National League:  Brandon Pfaadt, D-backs (4-0); Chris Sale, Braves (4-0); Foster Griffin, Nationals (4-1)

Three pitchers recorded four July losses: Athletics’ Gage Jump (1-4, 5.87); Padres’ Griffin Canning (1-4, 5.50); and Phillies’ Aaron Nola (0-4, 4.34).

EARNED RUN AVERAGE (minimum 20 June innings)

American League: Troy Melton, Tigers (0.92); Dylan Cease, Blue Jays (01.00); Randy Dobnak, Royals (1.04)

National League: Kyle Leahy, Cardinals (1.38); Shota Imanaga, Cubs (1.53); Matthew Boyd, Cubs (1.67)

STRIKEOUTS

American League: Gavin Williams, Guardians (51K / 31 2/3 IP); Taj Bradley, Twins (48K / 37 IP); Dylan Cease, Blue Jays (46K / 36 IP)

National League: Zack Wheeler, Phillies (49K / 27 2/3 IP); Paul Skenes, Pirates (42K / 31 2/3 IP): Jesus Luzardo, Phillies (41K / 31 1/3 IP)

INNINGS PITCHED

American League: Taj Bradley, Twins (37); Dylan Cease, Blue Jays ((36); Seth Lugo, Royals (33 1/3)

National League: Shane Drehan, Brewers (36); Sandy Alcantara, Marlins (35); Matthew Boyd, Cubs, (32 1/3)

WALKS + HITS/INNINGS PITCHED (at least 20 July innings)

American League: Paul Blackburn, Yankees (0.69); Dylan Cease, Blue Jays (0.72); Cam Schlittler,Yankees (0.73)

National League: Jared Jones, Pirates (0.63); Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers (0.67); Logan Henderson, Brewers (0.76)

Among pitches with at least 20 July innings, the Yankees’ Paul Blackburn held batters to the lowest average at .0.94.

SAVES

American League:  Aroldis Chapman, Red Sox (10); Bryan Baker, Rays (9); David Bednar, Yankees (7); Louis Varland, Blue Jays (7)

National League:  Raisel Iglesias, Braves (7); Mason Miller, Padres (7) ; Trevor McGill, Brewers (6)

Aroldis Chapman of the Red Sox saved the most games without a blown save in July (10).  

If the season had ended July 31, the playoff teams would have been:

National League

Dodgers, Brewers, Braves     Wild Cards: Cubs, Diamondbacks, Phillies

American League

Rays, White Sox, Astros       Wild Cards: Yankees, Red Sox, Twins  (Twins and Guardians had same record, Twins held tiebreaker edge.

Primary Resources: Stathead.com; MLB.com; Elias Sports Bureau

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.

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It’s time again for Baseball Roundtable’s Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” one-of-a-kind MLB accomplishments or statistics.  This week, we’re looking at pitchers who turned in seasons of twenty or more victories after turning age forty.

Here’s the chart, and details follow.

Warren Spahn, LHP

Photo: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1963, Braves’ southpaw Warren Spahn – in his age-42 season – became (and still is) the oldest MLB pitcher to record a 20-win season, going 23-7, 2.60, with an MLB-leading 22 complete games in 33 starts. That season Spahn finished second in the NL in shutouts (7) third in wins, seventh in earned run average and eighth in innings pitched. Even at 42, Spahn did not fade as the season wore on. He was 12-4, 2.67, with 11 complete games in the first half and 11-3, 2.54, with 11 complete games in the second half.  His 23 wins in 1963 are the most ever for a pitcher in a post-40 season.

Spahn is also one of only two MLB pitchers to log two 20-win seasons after turning 40 (Cy Young is the other). In 1961, at age 40, Spahn went 21-13, 3.02 in 38 starts leading the NL in wins, earned run average complete games and shutouts (4).

Spahn played in 21 MLB seasons (1942, 1946-65 … with the Braves in all but his final season, which he split between the Mets and Giants). His 363 MLB wins are the most ever for a southpaw and he recorded 13 seasons of 20 or more victories, leading the NL in wins eight timers (five seasons consecutively from 1957 through 1961), ERA three times, complete games nine times (seven consecutively, 1957-63), shutouts four times, innings pitched four times and strikeouts four times. His final MLB stat line was 363-245, 3.09 with 382 complete games and 63 shutouts in 665 starts (750 appearances).

Cy Young, RHP

Photo: Charles M. Conlon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Cy Young was the first pitcher to record a 20-win season after turning forty, when he went 21-15, 1.99 (as a 40-year-old) for the 1907 Red Sox. Then, he proved it was no fluke, by going 21-11, 1.26 for the 1908 Red Sox in his age-41 season. Young, of course, holds the record for MLB victories at 511.  He pitched in 22 MLB seasons (1890-1911 … Cleveland Spiders, Saint Louis Browns, Boston Americans/Red Sox, Cleveland Naps), going 511-315, 2.63 and holds the all-time MLB records for wins (511), losses (315), starts (815), complete games (749) and innings pitched (7356). Side note: Over his 22-season MLB career, Young averaged 334 1/3 frames pitched per season.

Young had 16 seasons of 20 or more wins (five of those 30 or more); leading the league in wins five times. He also led the league in earned run average twice, games started once, complete games three times, shutouts seven times, innings pitched twice and strikeouts twice.

Jamie Moyer, LHP

Photo: Galaksiafervojo, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

Jaimie Moyer is the pitcher with the most recent 20-win season after turning forty. In 2003, he went 21-7, 3.27 for the Seattle Mariners. That season, he had one complete game in 33 starts. Moyer was a poster-boy for longevity on the mound, pitching in 25 MLB seasons (1986-91, 1993-2010 and 2012 … Cubs, Rangers, Cardinals, Orioles, Red Sox, Mariners, Phillies, Rockies). He recorded his first MLB win on June 16, 1986 (at age 23) and his final MLB win on May 16, 2012 (at age 49), one month shy of 24 years later.

Over his 25 MLB seasons, Moyer went 269-209, 4.25, with 33 complete games and ten shutouts in 638 starts (696 appearances). He was a 20-game winner only twice.  In his age-40 season and in his age-38 season (2001, when he went 20-6, 3.43 for the Mariners).

Moyer did win at least ten games in 15 seasons and finished above .500 in 15. He is the only pitcher on this list not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Phil Niekro, RHP

Photo: Trading Card Database, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Phil Niekro had perhaps the most unusual post-40, 20-win season. In 1979, pitching for the Braves, the 40-year-old Niekro went 21-20, 3.39. He currently holds the distinction of being the last MLB pitcher to win at least 20 games and lose at least 20 games in the same season.

In that age-40 campaign, Niekro led the league in wins AND losses, games started (44), complete games (23), innings pitched (342), home runs allowed (41), walks allowed (113), and hit-by-pitch (11).

Niekro pitched in 24 MLB seasons (1964-87 … Braves, Yankees, Indians, Blue Jays), going 318-274, 3.35, with 245 complete games and 45 shutouts in 716 starts (864 total appearances). He led the league in wins twice, losses four times (consecutively 1977-80), earned run average once, games started four times, complete games four times, innings pitched four times and strikeouts once.  He won 20 or more games in three seasons and twice lost 20 in a season.

Grover Cleveland Alexander, RHP

Photo: unattributed, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Grover Cleveland  Alexander went 21-10, 2.52, with 22 complete games in 30 starts (37 appearances), as a forty-year-old, for the 1927 Cardinals. It was the last of nine 20+ win seasons (three of 30 or more) for Alexander. Alexander led the league in wins five times, earned run average four times (four consecutively, 1914-17) , games started three times, complete games six times (four consecutively, 1914-17), shutouts seven times, innings pitched seven times (four consecutively 1914-17) and strikeouts six times( four consecutively 1914-17). (From 1914 through 1917, Alexander averaged 30.3 wins, a 1.74 ERA, 35 complete games and 377 innings pitched per season. )

Alexander pitched in 20 MLB seasons (1911-30 … Phillies, Cubs, Cardinals), going 373-208, 2.56 with 436 complete games and 90 shutouts in 600 starts (696 appearances).

Primary Resource: Stathead.com

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

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Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.

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It’s time again for Baseball Roundtable’s Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” one-of-a-kind MLB accomplishments or statistics.

Photo: KG Graphics via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This week, we’re looking at the 300-inning season, starting with the question “Who was the last pitcher to throw 300 or more innings in a single season?”  That would be Steve Carlton of the Phillies, way back in 1980, when he went 24-9, 2.34 (with 13 complete games in 38 starts and 304 innings pitched).

Well, as usual, one thing led to another and I took a deeper look a season of 300 or more innings pitched.  There have been 864 such seasons, with 486 in the 28 seasons from 1872-99 and 378 in the 126 completed seasons since 1900 (the Modern Era).  Going a little deeper, there have been 120 such campaigns in the Live Ball Era (the 106 seasons since 1920) and, of course, zero since Steve Carlton in 1980.

I kept looking into 300-innings-pitched seasons by era. (Side note here: The most innings pitched in any MLB season, per stathead.com, is 680 by Will White of the 1879 Reds. How different was the game back then?  White started 75 of the 81 games the Reds played – and completed every start.  That season, in fact, six pitchers worked more than 500 innings and the eight National League teams used a total of 25 pitchers. (You can see why I chose to look at innings pitched stats by era.)

No pitcher has thrown more 300-innings-pitched seasons than Cy Young, with 16. No one threw more such seasons in the Modern Era than Christy Mathewson (11) and the record for  most 300-innings-pitched seasons tossed in the Live Ball Era (since 1920) is six, shared by Robin Roberts and Gaylord Perry.

Photo: Charles M. Conlon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Cy Young threw 300 or more innings in 16 of his 22 MLB  seasons (1890-1911), topping  400 innings in five seasons. He threw his final 300-inning-pitch season in his age-40 campaign (going 21-15, 1.99 for the 1907 Red Sox).  That season, he made 43 appearances – and completed 33 of 37 starts. He finished his career at 511-315, 2.63 and holds the MLB records for wins, losses, starts (815), complete games (749), innings pitched (7,356).  Note:  Pud Galvin is second on the all-time innings pitched list 1,353 2/3 innings behind Young.)

A sign of the times: Despite all those innings, Young only led the league in inning pitched twice in his career.

Photo: Paul Thompson, photographer., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Christy Mathewson holds the Modern Era (since -1900) record for seasons of 300 or more innings pitched with 11. Mathewson pitched in 17 MLB seasons (1900-1916), going 373-188, 2.13.  He made 636 appearances and completed 435 of 552 starts (4,788 2/3 career innings). He led the league in inning pitched just once in his career.  Young had his first 300-inning season in his age-20 season (1901) and his final 300-inning season in his age-33 campaign (1914).

Photo: Manny’s Baseball Land via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Common

Robin Roberts shares the Live Ball (since 1920) Era record for 300-innings-pitched seasons at six. He ran off a starting of six consecutive seasons of 300+ innings from 1950 through 1955; leading the National League (and MLB) in Innings pitched each season from 1951 through 1955. During his streak of 300-innings-pitched seasons, Roberts also led the NL in wins four times, starts six times and complete games four times. During the streak, he completed 161 of 232 starts.

Roberts pitched in 19 MLB seasons (1948-66), going 286-245, 3.41 with 676 appearances and 305 complete in 609 starts.  The seven-time All Star pitched a total of 4,688 2/3 MLB innings.

Photo: Jay Publishing via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Gaylord Perry also recorded four seasons of 300 or more innings pitched. His came during a seven-season span (from 1969 through 1975). He led the major leagues in innings pitched in 1969 and 1970; led the AL in complete games in 1972; led MLB in CG in 1973;  topped MLB in wins  1970; and led the AL in victories in 1972.

Perry pitched in 22 MLB seasons (1962-83). A five-time All Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner, he finished with a career line of 314-265, 3.11 in 777 appearances, with 303 complete games in 690 starts and 5,350 total innings pitched.

Primary Resource: Stathead.com

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.

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It’s time again for Baseball Roundtable’s Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” one-of-a-kind MLB accomplishments or statistics.  (Disclaimer: Game-by-game stats from 1920-48 Negro League games have not been fully incorporated into MLB records.)

This week, we’re looking at a bit of an obscure record, held by a player who is far from obscure. I might add this Tuesday’s topic has a (tenuous) tie to this tonight’s All Star Game.

Photo by Matt McGee

The related trivia question is, “What player holds the record for the most pinch-hitting appearances in a single season?”  The answer is Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, who appeared in 109 games (in his age-43 season) as a pinch hitter for the 2017 Marlins.  Oh, for that tie to the AS Game: Suzuki was an MLB All Star for ten consecutive seasons and the MVP of the 2007 MLB All Star Game (a 5-4 AL win), after going three-for-three, with one run and two RBI and hitting the first (and still  only) All Star Game inside-the-park home run.  Side note: In his MLB career, Suzuki had 117 regular-season home runs and one post-season dinger and none were inside-the-parkers.

One for the Ages.

From 2013 through 2013 (his age-27 through age-39 seasons), Ichiro Suzuki appeared in 2,061 MLB games and just 31 (1.5 percent) as a pinch hitter.  From 2014 through 2019 (his age-40 through age-45 seasons), Suzuki appeared in 592 MLB games, 240 (40.5 percent) as a pinch hitter. In 2017, he appeared in 136 MLB  games, 109 (80.1 percent) as a pinch hitter.

More About the Remarkable Career of Ichiro Suzuki

Suzuki was signed by the Orix Blue Wave of the Japan Eastern League, as an 18-year-old, in 1992 (after hitting .502 for his high school career). He spent most of his first two seasons in the minor leagues.   Then, in 1994, he made the Blue Wave squad full-time.  Over the next seven seasons, as a full-time player, Suzuki never hit under .343. During that span, he won seven consecutive batting titles, seven consecutive Gold Gloves and three consecutive MVP Awards. By the time he signed with the Mariners (November of 2000), he had collected 1,278 hits in Japan.

If there were any doubt about Suzuki’s ability to translate his slight stature, exceptional speed and unorthodox hitting style to the U.S. major leagues, they were quickly erased.  In his first season with the Mariners, Suzuki led the AL lead in batting average (.350); led MLB in hits (242): topped the majors in stolen bases 56; and earned a Gold Glove. Oh, and he was also an American League All Star, Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.  Suzuki was a no-doubter.

Ichiro went on to collect 200+ hits in each of his first ten MLB seasons (including a new MLB single-season record 262 safeties in 2004. He also stole 30 or more bases in nine seasons. In his first  ten MLB campaigns (through his age-36 season), Suzuki led the league in hits seven times, won two batting titles and earned ten Gold Gloves. Over those first ten campaigns, he hit .331-90-558, with 2,244 hits, 1,047 runs and 383 steals.  Suzuki played a total of 19 MLB seasons, going .311-117-780, with 1,420 runs scored, 3,089 hits and 509 steals. And, remember, this was after nine seasons, seven batting titles and more than 1,220 hits at the highest level of competition in Japan.  He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.  Of note is the fact is one of the 394 voters who cast ballots did  not vote for Suzuki.

Best Retirement Party Ever

It appeared as if Ichiro Suzuki was headed for (or in) retirement as a player in 2018. He played in a total of 15 games for the Mariners that season, making his last on-field appearance May 2.  After that he served primarily as a mentor and batting-baserunning-defense instructor. But fate (or the Baseball Gods) had a more spectacular retirement party in mind for Suzuki.  In 2019, MLB slated a  season-opening series with the Mariners facing the Athletics (March 20-21) in  Japan’s Tokyo Dome. Suzuki started both games fort Seattle, in front of  a packed house of home-country fans. In the eighth frame of Game Two, Suzuki left the field to a thundering standing ovation. After the game, he announced his retirement  as a player.

Well, enough about Suzuki (although he deserved every word and more). Here are a few other quick pinch-hitting tidbits.

• No player made more plate appearances as a pinch hitter than Lenny Harris … 836 during his MLB career (1988-2005). He also holds the record for most career pinch-hit at bats at 804 and most career pinch hits (212).  His pinch-hit stat line was .264-5-90 and his career line was .269-37-369 in 1,903 games.   Over his career, Harris appeared in at least 50 games at 1B,  2B, 3B, SS, LF and RF. He  appeared as a pinch-hitter for eight MLB teams (Reds, Dodgers, Mets, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Cubs, Marlins).
• Matt Stairs holds the record for pinch hit home runs in a career (23), punching pinch-hit homers for the Athletics, Brewers, Pirates, Royals, Tigers, Blue Jays, Phillies and Padres. Over his 19-season MLB career (1992-93, 1995-2011), Stairs hit  .257-23-87 as a pinch-hitter.  His overall stat line was .262-265-899.
• The record for consecutive pinch hits in a season is eight; Dave Philly, appropriately of the Phillies, in 1958 and Rusty Staub of the Mets in 1983.
• The record for pinch hits in a single season (28) belongs to John Vander Wal of the 1995 Rockies. That season, Vander Wall had 85 pinch-hitting plate appearances (72 at bats).  He went .389-4-17, with 12 walks as a pinch batter. Vander Wal played 14 MLB seasons (1991-2004), going .261-97-430 in 1,372 games.  His career pinch-hitting line was .236-17-95 in 624 plate appearances.
• The record for pinch hit home runs in a single season is seven: shared by Dave Hansen of the 2000 Dodgers and Craig Wilson of the 2001 Pirates.

Primary Resources: Ichiro Suzuki, Society for American Baseball Research bio, by Douglas Jordan; Stathead.com; Baseball-Almanac.com

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.

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