Game Notes – 07/09/2025

Even with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx in its corner, the AL has played second fiddle to its older sibling when it comes to producing players to reach 400 total bases in a season, with the Junior Circuit having 12 to the NL’s 18.  From 1921 (when Ruth had the first such campaign) through 1937, things were pretty even, with the AL actually holding the advantage, 11-8.  Do the simple math and wow, did the narrative take a turn.  The reversal starts with Stan Musial in 1948 and then streaks through Henry Aaron (1959), Larry Walker (1997), Sammy Sosa (1998 and 2001), Todd Helton (2000 and 2001), Barry Bonds (2001), Luis Gonzalez (2001) and Shohei Ohtani (2024), with only a single cameo by 1978 AL MVP Jim Rice breaking the complete domination.  However, if the second half of 2025 resembles the first in any way for Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, the AL could get one back.  

Aaron Judge doubled to get to 250 total bases on the year.  

~In the All-Star Era, Judge is the first to get to that number before the Midsummer Classic arrives.  Luis Gonzalez (2001) and Chris Davis (2013) had gotten the closest, 246.  

~Judge’s 250 total bases through 92 team games comes in as the 19th most in the Modern Era.  It’s the most since Luis Gonzalez had 255 in 2001 and the most for a Yankee at this stage since Joe DiMaggio had 273 in 1937.

~Judge’s combination of 250 total bases and 193 times on base through 92 team games has now been achieved eight times since 1901:

1921    Babe Ruth (267 TB and 212 ToB)

1927    Lou Gehrig (287 and 196)

1930    Lou Gehrig (259 and 199)

1930    Chuck Klein (288 and 195) 

1931    Lou Gehrig (255 and 202)

1932    Jimmie Foxx (281 and 197)

1994    Frank Thomas (252 and 215)

2025    Aaron Judge (250 and 193)

Jazz Chisholm, Jr. homered twice in front of the home crowd as the Yankees downed the Mariners, 9-6.  The lefty-swinging Chisholm has hit 13 of his 17 home runs this year at home (76.5%).   In the franchise’s history, there are eight players who have hit at least 20 total longballs on the season and had at least 75% of them come at home; unsurprisingly, all names are connected to left-handed hitters.  The list is made up of Bill Dickey (appears twice), Tommy Henrich (appears twice), Bobby Murcer, Don Mattingly, Matt Nokes and Brian McCann.  

White Sox right-hander Adrian Houser surrendered a run in seven innings while striking out two and came away with the win in the club’s 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays.  Houser owns a 1.56 ERA in his nine starts this season, despite a K/9 of 6.1.  The last full season (taking out 2020) to see a qualifying hurler conclude the year with a K/9 below 6.5 and pair it with an ERA below 3.00 was 2014, when three hurlers did it:

Henderson Alvarez III (5.3 and 2.65) 

Doug Fister (5.4 and 2.41)

Tanner Roark (6.3 and 2.85)

Bryce Harper tied a Phillies record with four extra-base hits (three doubles and a homer) as his team blanked the Giants, 13-0.  Harper is the 24th Phillie in the Modern Era to get to four – it’s the third time in the past two seasons someone has done it, with Kyle Schwarber having a pair of three-homer, one-double lines in 2024.  There are 18 players in history with five extra-base hits in a contest, most recently Shohei Ohtani for the Dodgers in 2024.  

~Harper now has 755 career extra-base hits, three behind Vada Pinson for the 26th most for all players through their age-32 seasons.  Of the 26 players currently ahead of Harper on this breakdown, seven drew more walks than him (Harper has 1,075):  Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews and Barry Bonds.  

Kyle Schwarber connected on his 29th homer of the year to tie himself (29 in 2022) for the second most for a Phillie before the All-Star break.  In 1979, Mike Schmidt clubbed 31.  Eugenio Suárez hit his 29th round-tripper to inch closer to Luis Gonazlez’s Diamondbacks record for most longballs in a first half (35 in 2001).

Bobby Witt, Jr. produced his 31st double and 25th stolen base of the year.  The shortstop is one of 352 players to get to an All-Star break with at least 25 stolen bases; arranging the entire group by most to fewest extra-base hits, Witt’s 47 match for the third most, behind Bobby Bonds’ 50 in 1973 and Brian Roberts’ 48 in 2008.  In 2023, Ronald Acuña, Jr. produced 47 and 2025 provides a companion to Witt, with Pete Crow-Armstrong having 47 to go along with his 27 steals.  José Ramírez, who homered and singled and stole his 25th base in Cleveland’s win on Wednesday, is tied for 38th on this list with 35 extra-base hits.  The others with exactly that many: Bonds in 1970, César Cedeño  in 1973 and Joe Morgan in 1974.  

~Ramírez’s two hits brought him to 1,600 for his career.  He’s the 27th switch-hitter to reach that milestone through an age-32 season; arranging the entire group from the highest to lowest career OPS+ through that age-32 campaign, the Guardians’ third baseman and his 131 comes in sixth, behind:

Mickey Mantle (177)

Eddie Murray (141)

Chipper Jones (140)

Reggie Smith (135)

Bernie Williams (132)

Salvador Perez assembled his 19th career multi-homer game, producing a pair of solo shots as the Royals nudged past the Pirates, 4-3.  The 35-year-old is making his way to a couple of nice milestones, as he’s now at 286 home runs and 970 RBI.  Let’s project ahead to a world in which this lifetime Royal gets to 300 longballs and 1,000 RBI to add to his 300+ doubles (he’s already at 309) and see what sort of company he’d keep.

Royals With 300+ Doubles, 300+ HR, 1,000+ RBI

George Brett (665 Doubles, 317 HR, 1,596 RBI)

Catchers (at Least 50% of Career Games at Catcher) With 300+ Doubles, 300+ HR, 1,000+ RBI