Cast the script back to 1977 … The good: just 21 years old, Cardinals shortstop Garry Templeton bats .322 and amasses 200 hits (both top-three marks in the NL) and paces the Senior Circuit with 18 triples. The bad: somehow, despite coming to the plate 644 times, Templeton draws 15 […]
In his farewell season in 2016, David Ortiz positively scoffed and sneered and even snarled at that old figure, Father Time. Playing his final game of the year just a couple of months shy of his 41st birthday, Ortiz concluded his age-40 campaign with 38 round-trippers and a .620 slugging […]
From 1893 through 2024, the records speak of 228 pitchers who amassed at least 20 starts in a season and finished that campaign by averaging less than a hit and walk allowed per inning pitched. In terms of volume of sub-one WHIP years, Walter Johnson claims the biggest piece of […]
Harold Baines drove in 1,628 runs in his 22-year career, more RBI than all but 33 players in Major League history. The number and ranking is/was an essential part of his narrative, even serving as the final statement on his Hall of Fame plaque. 10 of those 1,628 came in […]
Baseball Reference identifies 26 players as having a breadth and volume of skills and performance to have amassed – by the time all was said and done – at least 50.0 offensive WAR (oWAR) and at least 15.0 defensive WAR (dWAR). There are some inner, inner-circle all-timers here, some “If […]
I wonder, in whatever realm franchises possess some sort of collective consciousness, if the Expos still have nightmares about the Barry Bonds experience from 2000. In nine games that season, Montreal pitchers were tagged for eight doubles and seven homers by the Giants’ left fielder. There were also two singles […]
Since 1893, there are 32 examples of a National or American Leaguer operating in his age-23 or younger season, qualifying for the batting title, and finishing the year with a .350 or better average. There’s some mighty famed campaigns to have climbed this peak. There’s Joe Jackson’s record rookie season […]
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, […]
Stan Musial is famous for a lot of things when it comes to feats on the diamond. Considering the abundance his 22-year saga provided, the very beginnings of that journey are perhaps a bit overshadowed by what followed. But like so much of his career symphony, the overture was pretty […]
Over in the NL this season, Chicago’s Kyle Tucker and New York’s Pete Alonso share the league leads in both RBI (with 25) and extra-base hits (17). One of the two is also pacing the league in runs, hits, total bases, times on base (all Tucker), doubles and OPS+ (Alonso). […]