Once again, it’s time 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 MLB’s 30-30 Club. When it comes to the 30-30 Club (30 home runs and thirty steals in the same season), 2025 was a bit of a unicorn – a record seven players (see chart) reached at least 30 steals and 30 home runs. The previous record was four – in 1987, 1996, 1997, 2011 and 2023.
We’ll look at each of this year’s 30-30 group, but (as usual with The Roundtable, looking at one thing led to another), so I’ll start this post with a little history and stats related to 30-30 campaigns.
Now, 30-30 seasons did not use to be a “thing.” In fact, the first MLB 30-30 campaign did not take place until 1922 and it remained an exclusive, one-man club for 34 years.
The first 30-30 season was crafted by in 1922 by St, Louis Browns’ LF Ken Williams, who put together a .332-39-155, 37-steal season. In that campaign, he led the American League in home runs and RBI. In a 14-season MLB career (1915-16, 1918-29 … Reds, Browns, Red Sox), Williams went .319-196-916, with 154 steals. Outside of that 1922 season, his highest season home run total was 29 and his highest stolen base total was 20. As noted, Williams was all alone in the 30-30 Club until 1956, when Willie Mays put together a .296-36-84, 40-steal season for the New York Giants.
To date, there have been 79 30-30 seasons, accomplished by 51 players.
30-30 SEASONS (Since 1900)
1900-1955 1
1956-69 4
1970-79 5
1980-89 7
1990-99 20
2000-09 17
2010-19 10
2020-25 15
A few other Tidbits:
- The record for the most career 30-30 seasons is five – and it is shared by a father-son combination. Bobby Bonds went 30-30 in 1969, 1973, 1975, 1977 and 1978; while Barry Bonds accomplished the feat in 1990, 1992, 1995,1996 and 1997. Barry Bonds is also the only player with three consecutive 30-30 seasons.
- Only two players have reached the 30-30 level while playing with two teams in a season: Bobby Bonds and Carlos Beltran. In 1978, Bonds went .267-31-90, with 43 steals. He had 29 home runs and 37 steals in 130 games with the Rangers and two long balls and six steals with the White Sox. In 2004, Beltran went .267-38-104, with 42 steals. He had 23 homers and 28 steals in 90 games with the Astros and 15 homers and 14 steals in 69 games with the Royals.
- The Mets have had more 30-30 seasons than any other team (eight); Howard Johnson (1987, 89, 91); Francisco Lindor (2023, 25); Juan Soto (2025); David Wright (2007); Darryl Strawberry (1987).
- The franchises which have never add a 30-30 season are the: Padres; Rays; Tigers; White Sox; Twins; and Cardinals. (Bobby Bonds did play 26 games for the White Sox in his 1978 30-30 season; along with 130 for the Rangers).
- Only three teams have had two 30-30 players in their lineup in the same season: 2025 Mets (Francisco Lindor/Juan Soto); 1996 Rockies (Ellis Burks/Dante Bichette); 1987 Mets (Howard Johnson/Darryl Strawberry).
- The most home runs in a 30-30 season (54) belong to the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, who went .310-54-130, with 59 steals in 2024. His is the only 50-50 season in MLB history.
- The most stolen bases in a 30-30 season (73) belong to the Braves’ Ronald Acuna, Jr., who went .337-41-106, with 73 steals in 2023.
- The first 30-30 player, Ken Williams of the 1922 Browns struck out the fewest times in his 30-30 season – just 31 strikeouts in 678 plate appearances. (The most Ks in a 30-30 season belong to the Braves’ Ronald Acuna, Jr., who fanned 188 times in 715 plate appearances in 2019.
- The highest batting average in a 30-30 season (.366) is credited to the Rockies’ Larry Walker, who went .366-49-130, with 33 steals in 1997.
- The lowest batting average in a 30-30 season (.242) is on the resume of Jazz Chisholm, Jr., who went .242-31-80, with 31 steals for the 2025 Yankees.
- Players logging 30-30 seasons have led their league in home runs eight times and in stolen bases seven times. No 30-30 player has led in both categories in their 30-30 season.
- The Braves’ Christian Yelich (.329-44-97, with 30 steals in 2019); Red Sox Mookie Betts (.346-32-80, with 30 steals in 2018); and Royals’ Bobby Witt, Jr. (.332-32-109, with 31 steals in 2024) are the only three players to win a batting title in a 30-30 season.
Now a look at the seven 2025 30-30 Club Members:
Juan Soto
Soto has never lacked for power. In fact, in his first seven seasons in the majors (2018-2024 … Nationals, Padres) Yankees), he topped 20 homers six times (exceeding thirty twice and 40 once). Speed, however, did not seem to be his game – he stole in double-digits just twice (a high of 12). Things changed in 2025 after he signed with the Mets, when he came under the wing of first base coach Antoan Richardson. This season, Soto logged his first-ever 30-30 season.
Jazz Chisholm, Jr.
Chisholm is just the third player in Yankee pinstripes to record a 30-30 season, joining Bobby Bonds and Alfonso Soriano. The accomplishment seems even more highlight-worthy, when you consider Chisholm lost 28 games to a severe oblique strain early in the season and also was hampered by a nagging groin injury. (He did not steal a single base – only two attempts – from June 11 through July 20th – a stretch of 39 games played. He did hit.271, with nine homers in that span.)
Jose Ramirez
Guardians’ seven-time All Star (in 13 seasons) Ramirez is:
- The first player in the Cleveland franchise with three 30-30 seasons;
- The second switch-hitter in MLB history with three 30-30 seasons; and
- The second third baseman in MLB history with three 30-30 seasons.
Ramirez was .270-39-105 with 34 steals in 2018; .335-39-118, with 41 steals in 2024.
For those who like to know such things, the first switch-hitter and first third baseman with three 30-30 seasons was Howard Johnson (Mets … 1987, 1989, 1991).
Corbin Carroll
The 24-year-old Carroll recorded his first 30-30 campaign in his third full MLB season. Over the past three seasons, Carroll averaged 26 home runs and 40.3 steals per campaign.
Francisco Lindor
Lindor is just the second player primarily taking the field at shortstop to record two 30-30 seasons (Lindor also had a 30-30 season for the Mets in 2023), joining Bobby Witt, Jr. (2023 & 2024). In 11 MLB seasons, Lindor has gone .273-279-856, with 216 steals. He is a five-time All Star.
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Crow-Armstrong is just the second player to join the 30-30 Club in a Cubs’ uniform. (Sammy Sosa produced 30-30 seasons for the Cubs in 1993 and 1995.) Just 23-years-old, PCA has plenty of time to add more 30-30 campaigns.
Julio Rodriguez
2025 was the 24-year-old Rodriguez’ second 30-30 season in four major-league campaigns. The two-time All Star has recorded at least 20 home runs and 24 steals in each of his four seasons.
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 Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.
Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.
P 1136
