Game Notes – 05/14/2025

In 2024, Shohei Ohtani produced 411 total bases and tied Barry Bonds from 2001 for the 10th most in National League history.  Through 43 team games last year, the eventual league MVP and scripter of one of the more joyously outlandish offensive seasons ever had 108 total bases.  This year, he’s at 105.  Hmmm.

In 2024, Aaron Judge flirted with becoming the 13th AL player (and first since Jim Rice in 1978) to reach 400 total bases, but ultimately fell shy by eight.  Through 43 team games last year, the eventual league MVP and author of perhaps the most valuable offensive season ever by a right-hand hitter had 77 total bases.  This year, he’s at 129.  Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Shohei Ohtani launched a leadoff homer in the first and later added a single and a walk and another run scored to his day at the office.  The three-time MVP is at 46 runs scored, 25 extra-base hits, 105 total bases and 79 times on base.  

~For all Dodgers since 1901, through 43 games:

*The 46 runs are the third most, behind the 49 from Babe Herman and 47 from Johnny Frederick (both in 1930).

*The 25 extra-base hits are tied for the seventh most.  Ohtani’s 27 in 2024 are the most.

*The 105 total bases tie for the 10th most, with Herman’s 126 in 1930 standing supreme.  

*The 79 times on base tie for the 31st most and are exactly where Ohtani was in 2024.  Herman (1930) and Dixie Walker (1944) are tied for the most, at 94.

~Ohtani’s referenced profile (46 R/25 XBH/105 TB/79 TOB through 43 team games) has been produced 15 other times since 1901.  It’s a robust roll call before coming to Ohtani:  

Nap Lajoie (1901)

Ty Cobb (1911, 1921)

Al Simmons (1925)

Babe Ruth (1926, 1927, 1928, 1930)

Chuck Klein (1930, 1932)

Babe Herman (1930)

Jimmie Foxx (1932)

Frank Thomas (1994)

Álex Rodríguez (2000)

Lance Berkman (2008)

Aaron Judge clocked his 15th homer in a 2-for-4 day that left him with 129 total bases.  The two-time MVP is one of 123 players in the modern era to have at least 15 homers through his club’s first 43 games, but only five others have also wrapped that power with at least 129 total bases:

1923     Cy Williams has 19 homers and 133 total bases

1930     Chuck Klein has 16 and 140

1932     Jimmie Foxx has 18 and 136

1956     Mickey Mantle has 20 and 137

1994     Ken Griffey, Jr. has 21 and 135

~Since 1901, Judge’s 1.279 OPS is the 18th highest for any player through 43 team games (with a minimum of 130 plate appearances).  The 17 values above his come from:

Babe Ruth (1921, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931)

Lou Gehrig (1927)

Jimmie Foxx (1932)

Mickey Mantle (1956)

Barry Bonds (1993, 2001, 2002, 2004)

Frank Thomas (1994)

Paul O’Neill (1994)

Mark McGwire (1998, 2000)

José Bautista (2011) 

The Twins took both ends of a doubleheader against the Orioles to run their winning streak to 10 games.  It’s the 19th time the franchise has assembled a double digit streak and the second straight year Minnesota has had an early-ish season surge like this; from April 22 through May 4 in 2024, the club won 12 straight.  

In the second game of a doubleheader, the Cardinals pounded out 19 hits and doubled up the Phillies, 14-7.  Masyn Winn led the club with four hits (including a homer) and was one of four with at least three knocks.  The team high mark for this sort of thing stands with the 1932 club, who had six players reach three-plus hits on August 9 in an 18-13 win against the Phillies.

José Ramírez hit a three-run homer to reach 886 RBI in his career, notable for being the same number that Tris Speaker produced during his time with Cleveland.  The two are tied for the fifth most in Cleveland history, meaning Ramírez is fifth or better on the following career franchise leaderboards:  total bases (third), doubles (fifth), home runs (second), RBI (tied for fifth), steals (third) and extra-base hits (second).  He also needs seven more runs scored to tie Jim Thome for fifth in that category.

Tarik Skubal fanned 11 with a walk in a no-decision, bringing his seasonal tallies in the two categories to  71 and six, respectively.  The Tigers’ lefty is one of 295 pitchers since 1901 to have at least 70 strikeouts through his team’s first 44 games and one of four to keep the walk tally down as low as six.  The others: 

2014    David Price has 70 strikeouts and six walks

2016    Clayton Kershaw has 88 strikeouts and four walks

2021    Gerrit Cole has 85 strikeouts and five walks

*At the other end of the telescope, Weldon Wyckoff and Nolan Ryan share the seat for the most walks among the pitchers to get to at least 70 strikeouts through 44 games.  In 1915, Wyckoff had 71 K’s and 72 walks.  In 1977, Ryan posted 101 strikeouts against his 72 free passes.

Kyle Stowers clubbed a pair of homers and added a triple to his line in Miami’s win against Chicago.  It’s the second time this season the outfielder has collected at least 11 total bases in a game.  He’s the only Marlin ever to have multiple games in a career with at least 11, let alone in one season.  Overall, a Marlin has reached or exceeded this tally a dozen times, with the high of 13 shared by Gary Sheffield (1994), Mike Lowell (2004) and Cody Ross (2006).

Playing in his 20th career game, Agustín Ramírez produced his ninth career double and fifth career home run.  The 23-year-old Marlin is one of 19 players in the modern era to reach 14 extra-base hits through his first 20 contests.  Mandy Brooks (1925), Joe DiMaggio (1936) and Bo Bichette (2019) get credit for the most – 17 – through their first 20 games.

Jameson Taillon surrendered three homers in a loss, raising his tally for the year to a Major League-leading 13.  The Cubs’ right-hander also finished his effort with no walks, leaving himself with a mere nine on the season.  There are 24 NL/AL players who’ve finished a year with enough innings to qualify for the ERA title and more homers allowed than free passes, including Cubs Greg Maddux (2004) and Kyle Hendricks (2020).

Patrick Corbin (6.0 IP, 3 R, 9 K’s) improved to 3-2 with a 3.35 ERA as his Rangers defeated the Rockies, 8-3.  The last time the southpaw was above .500 at this stage of his team’s season (44 games), he was pitching for the 2019 Nationals and was 4-1 with a 2.91 ERA.  From 2020-2024, Corbin was a combined 8-24 (.250 winning %) with 5.36 ERA through his clubs’ first 44 games.  

Jeremy Peña doubled once and singled thrice in the Astros’ 4-3 win over the Royals.  Peña has been Houston’s leadoff hitter in the team’s past 16 games and in that stretch, is slashing .406/.425/.609.  

Manny Machado added another two hits to his career line, pushing his tally up to 1,952.  If he gets another 48 this year he’ll join 54 others who’ve had at least 2,000 by the time their age-32 seasons were in the books.  This most recent effort also raised Machado’s tally of total bases to a clean 3,400.  He’s the 31st player ever to have at least that many through an age-32 campaign and the first to do it since Miguel Cabrera ended his age-32 season in 2015 with 4,079.  

Playing in his sixth career game, Matthew Lugo was 1-for-3 with a double.  The 24-year-old has four hits in 13 at-bats thus far, with all four going for extra bases (one double and one triple with two homers).  The Angels’ rookie does have some company in entering the league in such fashion – there are 13 others since 1901 to see their first six games comprise at least four hits with no singles as part of the mix.  Hall of Famer Johnny Mize is on the list, having produced three doubles and a triple through his first six.  Slugger Dave Kingman also makes the group, with three homers and a double.  Lugo is the only one of the bunch to have put a number in all three of the extra-base hit categories. 

Thanks to Baseball Reference and its extraordinary research database, Stathead, for help in assembling this piece.