Category Archives: Records and Milestones

Raleigh’s Really Rocking

As we reach the All-Star break, Aaron Judge is having yet another monster season, leading the majors in all three slash categories, plus WAR, Hits and Total Bases, and leading the AL in Runs and Walks. Yet, somehow, Judge’s 35 dingers are only second best this season, trailing nobody’s pre-season pick for home run champ, Seattle’s switch-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh. More on Raleigh’s improbable power surge after the jump.

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The Unhittable Mr. Francis

August’s AL Pitcher of the Month was the Blue Jays’ Bowden Francis. If you’ve never heard of him, you’re not alone. Despite that lack of notoriety, Francis, whose career totals prior to August included just 81⅓ IP and four starts, has turned in two of the more remarkable months of pitching of the modern era. More after the jump.

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Remembering Willie Mays (1931-2024)

Willie Mays‘ passing last month serves to remind baseball fans of his spectacular and singular career. Widely regarded as baseball’s most complete player, Mays excelled at all facets of the game, playing at a high level for almost the entirety of a career spanning 23 years. His passing also reduces to a very slender thread our connection with those still living who graced major league ballparks in the 1950s. More on Willie and 1950s baseball are after the jump.

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Starting Fast: Baseball’s Best Hitters Out of the Gate

Pitchers tend to hold the upper hand to start the season, with batters warming up with the weather. But, some batters buck that trend and are hot to start the season, including some who do so on a regular basis. So, who are April’s heroes? Spoiler alert: they’re also the heroes in the other months of the season. More after the jump.

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Blanco Blanks Blue Jays

Ronel Blanco lived up to his name, turning in the young season’s first no-hit game as the Astros romped 10-0 over Toronto. Blanco walked the first batter of the game and the next-to-last (both former Astro George Springer) but retired everyone else, as no Blue Jay reached second base. It was the 13th no-hit game by an Astro pitcher (11th at home), and the second time Houston has no-hit Toronto. More after the jump.

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All-Star Break Diversion

To tide us over for the next couple of days, here’s a quick quiz. Not very hard, but some of the names may surprise you. So, what accomplishment can be claimed only by these players?