MLB Roundup
AVAST YE! THE PIRATES ARE ON A ROLL
They’ve lost 100 games both of the last 2 seasons, and they have the worst record in MLB over the last 4 years, but the Pirates woke up this morning owners of the best record in the National League. They’ve won their last 7 in a row and are off to a 16-7 start.
In going 62-100 season ago, the Bucs never won more than 4 in a row and spent all of one day above .500 (at 5-4). They didn’t win their 16th game until May 18, game #37.
The last time they won as many as 7 in a row, were as many as 9 games over .500 or were in first place this “late” in a season: 2018, which also happens to be the last time they finished with a winning record.
It is worth noting the 2023 Pirates have benefitted from a relatively easy early-season schedule. They’re 11-2 against 3 last-place teams: the Reds (5-2), Rockies (3-0) and Red Sox (3-0). They open a 3-game home series against the Dodgers tonight.
AT A LOSS IN OAKLAND
Even after a wild victory over the Angels last night, the 5-18 (.217) Athletics are on an early-season pace for a full-season total of 35 wins and the worst winning percentage in ML history.
Since MLB adopted the 162-game schedule (the AL in 1961, the NL in 1962), the fewest wins any club has recorded in a full season is 40. In their inaugural season, the expansion 1962 Mets stumbled to a 40-120 final mark.
The lowest winning percentage ever recorded by an AL or NL team is .235 by the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics, who finished 36-117.
Only 10 teams in modern ML history (post-1900) have dropped more than 18 of their first 23 games. Most recently, the Reds started 3-20 last year. It could be worse, the 1988 Orioles lost their first 21 in a row and were 1-22 after 23. Those O’s finished 54-107.
The ML-best Rays improved to 20-3 with a win over the Astros last night. At their current pace, the A’s wouldn’t pick up their 20th victory until their 92nd game, which is scheduled to be played July 9, the Sunday before the All-Star break.
MUNCY IS MASHING
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy has out-homered the Washington Nationals this season, 11-10.
When Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in 1927, he out-homered 12 of the other 15 AL and NL clubs that season. He hit more home runs than any 2 of the Indians, Red Sox, Senators and Reds combined that year.
ARRAEZ TAKES A SWING AT HISTORY
Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez leads the majors in batting (.444) and OBP (.506). The last player to lead MLB in both average and OBP in the same season was the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera en route to the AL MVP Award in 2013. The last NL player to do so was Atlanta’s Chipper Jones in 2008.
After leading the AL in batting average last season, Arraez looks to become only the 2nd player in modern (post-1900) ML history to win a batting title in both the AL and the NL. He’d be the first to do so in consecutive seasons. D.J. LeMahieu won the NL batting crown with the Rockies in 2016 and captured the AL batting title as a Yankee in 2020.
The only active major leaguers to win multiple batting titles are Cabrera (4), LeMaheiu (2) and Christian Yelich (2).
AMAZING RAYS
The 20-3 Rays lead MLB in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, home runs and runs scored. On the mound, they lead MLB in ERA, opponents average, OBP, slugging percentage, OPS, fewest home runs and fewest runs allowed.
Since 1900, only 2 AL or NL teams have ever won more than 20 of their first 23 games. The 1911 Detroit Tigers and the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers both started 21-2.
The Rays set a major league record by opening a season with at least one home run in 22 consecutive games before they were kept in the ballpark in an 8-3 win vs. Houston last night. With 48 home runs in 23 games, Tampa Bay is on pace to slam 338. The only 2 ML clubs to ever hit 300 in a season are the 2019 Twins (307) and the 2019 Yankees (306). Only 2 AL or NL teams have ever hit more home runs through their first 23 games of a season. The Cardinals crushed 52 in 2000, and the Mariners hit 49 in 2019.
The Rays have baseball’s best offense and pitching staff so far in 2023, but none of the 32 players who have appeared in a game for them to this point has ever played in an All-Star Game. Brandon Lowe was selected to the All-Star team as a reserve in 2019, but didn’t get into the game. Among pitchers, only Shane McClanahan has been named an All-Star, in 2022, but—like Lowe—he didn’t appear in the game.
Of their first 23 games, the Rays have played only 3 against a team that currently has a winning record, going 1-2 at Toronto. The Rays are 19-1 against the Red Sox, White Sox, Reds, Tigers, Athletics and Nationals.
RUNNING WILD IN CLEVELAND
With 28 stolen bases in their first 23 games, the Guardians are on pace to steal 197 bags this season. The only team to swipe that many in a single season since 1996 was the 2007 Mets, who stole 200.
The Rangers led MLB with 128 steals last season. With the larger bags reducing the distance between bases and new restrictions placed on pitchers holding runners, 10 teams are on an early-season pace to surpass Texas’ ML-best total from a season ago.
HONEST FEET IN COLORADO AND MINNESOTA
While stolen bases are at a 3-decade high league-wide, the Rockies and Twins have not joined in on the fun. The Twins were 1-for-2 in stolen base attempts all season before going 1-for-2 last night against the Yankees. So they’re 2-for-4 stealing bases in 23 games.
Meanwhile, the Rockies are 2-for-4 in their first 24 games.
Into yesterday’s games, 28 players had had as many or more stolen bases individually in a single game this year as the Rockies and Twins have had all season.
I say if the rays win a 125 games, cancel the playoffs and just give them the trophy.