On this date (August 11) in 2016, Rockies’ 22-year-old rookie LF David Dahl started in the cleanup spot and went one-for-four with one run scored and one RBI, as the Rockies topped the Rangers 12-9 (in Texas). Dahl’s hit, a first-inning single had a little extra meaning for the rookie. It extended his career-opening hitting streak to 17 games, tying him with the 1941 Reds’ Chuck Aleno for the longest hitting streak ever from the beginning of an MLB career.
The very next night (August 12), Dahl “missed” his chance to capture the record for himself (at 18 games), going zero-for-four with three swing- and-miss strikeouts. Side note: I happened to be at that game, as part of a Ballpark Tours’ trip and was rooting for Dahl to capture sole possession of the mark.
Dahl collected 24 hits in 70 at bats (.358) during his career-opening streak – including one double, three triples and three home runs. Over the 17 games, he drove in ten runs and scored 17. His streak included two three-hit games and three two-hit contests.
Dahl was selected – out of Mountain High School in Birmingham, Alabama – in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft (10th overall). Before hitting “the show,” he carried a .310 average with 47 home runs and 74 stolen bases over five minor-league seasons (367 games). In 2016, Dahl had moved up from Double-A Hartford to Triple-A Albuquerque before his call up, hitting .314 with 18 home runs, 61 RBI and 17 steals in a combined 92 games. Dahl finished the 2016 MLB season with a .315-7-25 line over 63 games. His career was clearly on a sharp upward trajectory, despite some early setbacks.
Dahl’s rise to the major came despite a significant 2015 injury, suffered in an outfield collision while playing for the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats. Dahl suffered a spleen laceration and eventually had the spleen removed.
After his 2016 MLB debut season, the injury bug continued to bite Dahl. He suffered a stress factors (ribs) in 2017 Spring Training and eventually was shut down for the entire season. Dahl, however, was back on track with the Rockies in 2018, hitting .273-16-48 in 77 games. Then came a broken foot in 2018, an ankle injury (that shortened an MLB All Star season) in 2019 and shoulder surgery in 2020. In five MLB seasons (2016, 2018-21 … Rockies, Rangers), Dahl hit .272-42-160 in 327 games. The Roundtable wonders “What If David Dahl had stayed healthy?”
David Dahl was an All Star in 2019, hitting .302-15-61 in 100 games.
Dahl 17-game career-opening streak tied the record of Chuck Aleno, 3B for the Reds, who was called up May 15 1941. During his 17-game streak, Aleno hit .389 (28 for 72), with two doubles, two triples, nine RBI and 12 runs scored. He started his streak with four multi-hit games and the streak included 11 two-hit games. Aleno finished the year at .289-1-18 in 54 games, the most he would ever play in an MLB season. (After his torrid 17-game start, Aleno played in just 101 more MLB games, hitting just .163, with two home runs and 25 RBI.)
When he was called up, the 24-year-old Aleno was in his fifth professional season and was hitting .348 (19 games) for the Double-A Indianapolis Indians of the American Association. Aleno played 17 seasons of professional ball, parts of four in the majors. His MLB career line was .209-2-34 in 118 games. I
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Colorado Rockies Non-tender Oft-injured OF David Dahl, December 1, 2020, Associated Press (via ESPN.com); Rockies’ Outfielder David Dahl’s Latest Injury is a High Right Ankle Sprain, August 4, 2019, Jack Etkin (via Forbes.com).
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