Here at Weird and Wild World HQ, we’re still playing catch-up. It’s amazing what can happen in this sport when you leave the country and put those Weird and Wild columns on hold for a few weeks. Isn’t it?
So on Friday, we presented our favorite Weird and Wild moments and feats of the month. Now it’s time to look at a bunch of teams and players you should definitely be paying attention to.
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Ready for the Weird and Wild teams and players of the month? Here they come, in 3 … 2 … 1.
The Weirdest/Wildest Teams of the Month
It must be the cheesesteaks
As you might have heard someplace, I’ve lived most of my life in Philadelphia. So I think I’m qualified to say it isn’t always the warmest, fuzziest town on earth. But somehow, it’s suddenly turned into the most nurturing town in America to play baseball. And that’s quite a phenomenon.
In the 26 home games the Phillies have played since the second week of April, they’re 23-3. That seems crazy to me. In football, where this seems less crazy and more doable, the Eagles haven’t had a 23-3 stretch in regular-season games in Philadelphia since 1946-50!
And over the last 35 baseball seasons, only one team in any metropolis — Torii Hunter’s 2006 Twins (24-2) — has had a better streak at home in any 26-game span in a season.
But wait. The really astounding part of this is coming right up: Two of those three Phillies losses were in extra innings. Which means that when the game goes the regulation nine innings, they’ve lost one home game in nearly two months.
Yes, they’re 20-1 in nine-inning games in Citizens Bank Park during that span. And here’s what makes that the kind of topic we look at in this column.
The Zombie Runner era began five seasons ago (in 2020). Since those Zombie Runners headed out to second base to kick off extra innings, those overtime games in baseball have never been the same. So how many teams in this zombified era have ever run off a streak like this — 20-1 in zombie-free games at home? That answer is none! Of course.
Until now. In the cheesesteak capital of the world.
It must be the No. 4 train
Then there are the Yankees. As the Twins could testify, Yankee Stadium isn’t the most welcoming ballpark emporium in America to visit, either.
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The Yankees have now played 10 series at home this season. Until the Dodgers came to town over the weekend and won two out of three, the Yankees hadn’t lost any of those series in the Bronx (won seven, split two).
This would rank as another one of those things that doesn’t happen every year. Mickey Mantle never played on a Yankees team that went this deep into a season without losing a series at The Stadium. Neither did Alex Rodriguez, Don Mattingly nor Reggie Jackson.
In the history of Yankee Stadium (the first, second and third editions), only five other Yankees teams have ever done this:
• 1932 Yankees (9-0)
• 1936 Yankees (7-0-2)
• 1949 Yankees (9-0)
• 1996 Yankees (7-0-2)
• 1998 Yankees (6-0-3)
What do those teams all have in common? Right. They won the World Series!
(H/T James Smyth, YES Network)
The hurting home of the Braves
I don’t know about you, but I feel sorry for the Braves. And for good reason.
First, they lost a pitcher who went 20-3 last year and led the league in strikeouts by almost 50. That, of course, was Spencer Strider. He’s out for the season following elbow-ligament surgery.
Then they lost the reigning National League MVP, Ronald Acuña Jr. He’s out for the season after reconstructive knee-ligament surgery.
So I got to thinking. How many teams have lost the MVP and a 20-game winner in the same season?
I’m not sure the Braves want to know the answer, but I asked Baseball Reference’s amazing Katie Sharp to look into this one all the same. (And FYI: We decided to define “out for the season” as players who missed at least 100 games the next season.)
She started with MVP position players who missed at least 100 games the season after they won that trophy. There were only five of those — and two of them predated the inception of the current MVP award*:
• Rogers Hornsby, 1929-30 Cubs*
• Lew Fonseca, 1929-30 Indians*
• Hank Greenberg, 1935-36 Tigers
• Hank Greenberg, 1940-41 Tigers**
• Barry Bonds, 2004-05 Giants
(*before the official BBWAA MVP award began)
(**Greenberg enrolled in the Army during World War 2)
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But how many of those teams also lost a 20-game winner from the previous season? Not surprisingly, the answer is none. So the 2024 Braves stand alone — and, sadly, not in quite the way they had in mind for this season.
Vogt’s up with that?
At what point do we announce that Stephen Vogt is good at managing? I decided I’d wait until he’d managed 60 games. Now my jury is back with a verdict.
That would be a yes!
Let’s look at it this way. He replaced a legend in Cleveland and a future Hall of Famer, Terry Francona. Should we compare them? Aw, what the heck. Sure, we should.
Seasons Francona managed in the big leagues — 23
Seasons his teams started off 40-20 — zero
Seasons Vogt has managed in the big leagues — one
Seasons his teams started off 40-20 — one
Is it only me who finds that incredible? Francona won two World Series, lost a third in a Game 7 and won three Manager of the Year awards. But the best 60-game start by any of his teams was 39-21, by Coco Crisp’s 2007 Red Sox. Francona’s best start in Cleveland was 35-25, by the 2020 team whose pandemic season consisted of just those 60 games.
Maybe you thought Vogt had all the makings of an awesome manager. But there’s only one way to explain how he could already have managed a team that got off to a better start than the managerial icon who preceded him. It’s …
Baseball!
Your Sox smell!
Is it too early to alert the Casey Stengel and Choo-Choo Coleman fan clubs that the 2024 White Sox are their kind of team? We always hesitate to use the phrase “worse than the 1962 Mets” to describe any team. But, well, are you familiar with these White Sox?
Even if you are, let’s check in on how it’s going — by which I mean: Yikes!
RUN DIFFERENTIAL — At their current pace, the Sox would finish with a run differential of (gulp) minus-353. Where would that rank in Ugly Run Differential history? Check it out.
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• Worst since 1900 — 1932 Red Sox, minus-349
• Worst of all time — 1899 Cleveland Spiders, minus-723!
• ’62 Mets run differential — minus-331
So would a differential that was more than 20 runs worse than the ’62 Mets be something we might write about — like for the next 200 years? Can’t rule that out!
GAMES BEHIND — After 66 games, these White Sox are already 26 games out of first place. Call me an alarmist, but I don’t think they’re going to catch the Guardians.
• Most games out of first after 66 games, modern era — 34 1/2, 1932 Red Sox
• Most games out of first after 66 games, divisional era — 29, 2001 Rangers
• ’62 Mets after 66 games — 26 out (on the way to 60 1/2!)
• 1899 Spiders after 66 games — 34 out (on the way to 84!)
THEY’RE KINDA STREAKY — The White Sox finally beat somebody (the Red Sox) on Friday, which pulled the plug on the longest single-season losing streak in franchise history, at 14 games. Still, it turns out the one thing they’re best at is piling up streaks they can’t seem to stop.
Losing streaks by ’62 Mets before July — 17 … 9 … 7 … 4 … 4.
Losing streaks by ’24 White Sox so far — 14 … 7 … 6 … 5 … 4 … 4.
I could keep going here, but you get the idea. The 2024 White Sox. Making history in all the wrong ways.
They need a first-aid kit
Back on May 4, here’s a thing the Blue Jays did that didn’t seem that memorable at the time.
You know what they call that? A run-scoring hit in the first inning.
You know why we just made you watch it? Because until Saturday, it was the last run the Blue Jays had scored in any first inning.
It’s a streak that got them to within two of the longest streak of Games Not Scoring in the First Inning in baseball history, which is 31 games, by Beauty McGowan’s 1931 Boston Bees. And you don’t need me to tell you that makes no sense. But let’s do that anyway. In those 29 games:
The Yankees scored 29 times in the first inning.
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The Dodgers have three luminaries named Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman hitting in the top three spots in their lineup. Just those three alone scored 16 times in the first inning.
Surely the Blue Jays would like to petition the commissioner’s office to have all games start in the second inning from now on, if only because … they’ve scored more runs in the second inning (45) than any other team in baseball.
Baseball …
It. Makes. No. Sense.
Three’s a crowd (literally)
It’s June 10, and the Oakland A’s attendance — for the whole season — is 241,159. It took them 35 games to get there. Does that seem like a small number? Let’s tell you exactly how small.
The Dodgers passed that number at Dodger Stadium on April 2. It took them six games.
Even the Rays — who (trust us) would have trouble telling you what the abbreviation, SRO, stands for — had already blown by that number by April 23.
And that’s because — for reasons you honestly don’t want to hear again — the A’s are on pace to attract a total attendance this season of slightly under 559,000 people. Does that seem small, too? Let’s tell you exactly how small.
Peter Bergeron’s 2001 Montreal Expos were the last major-league team to rack up a full-season attendance that failed to clear 700,000 (not counting the 2020 and 2021 pandemic-impacted seasons). They drew 642,745 baseball lovers to the always comfy Stade Olympique.
Julio Franco’s 1985 Cleveland Indians were the last American League team that didn’t make it to 700,000. They packed 655,181 into palatial Municipal Stadium that year. I’m pretty sure that’s fewer people than attended every game played by Bernie Kosar’s 1985 Browns.
Brian Kingman’s 1979 A’s were the last team that averaged under 7,000 fans a game. They were such a hot attraction, they averaged 3,787, according to Baseball Reference, for a total attendance that year of 306,763. And we are not making that up.
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However, that A’s team did not leave town. This A’s team is headed for Sacramento — where I don’t like their chances of outdrawing the Dodgers, but I’d bet my favorite flat screen that they outdraw those ’79 A’s.
The Weirdest/Wildest Players of the Month
The Judge’s chambers
As recently as 2008, Dustin Pedroia hit 17 home runs all year and won the AL MVP award. Aaron Judge, on the other hand, has hit 17 home runs since May 8.
Judge just won the AL Player of the Month award by mashing 26 extra-base hits in one month. Bryce Harper just won the NL Player of the Month award. He has 26 extra-base hits all season.
But here’s another cool Judge tidbit I noticed, with some help from Marquee Sports Network’s Chris Kamka: Judge just became the first player in baseball to reach 20 home runs … for the third time in his career.
It got me wondering how many other players in the live-ball era could say that. Next thing I knew, I’d embarked on quite a journey down a rabbit hole made possible by STATS Perform’s incredible STATSPass search tool, all so I could dig up that answer.
You won’t be stunned to learn that Babe Ruth was the first player in baseball to reach 20 homers in seven different seasons (including two in which he was first by more than two months). But since then, here’s the club Judge joined:
Jimmie Foxx — 4
Mark McGwire — 4
Ted Williams — 3
Ken Griffey Jr. — 3
Jose Canseco — 3
Dave Kingman — 3
Whoa. What about Henry Aaron? Nope. “Only” two. Mickey Mantle? No. Only two for him. Mike Schmidt, Willie Stargell, Joe DiMaggio and Dale Murphy were also in the group with two. But Judge is already at three … with seven seasons left on his contract.
In other words, I’m glad I have this leaderboard ready to go. Why do I think I might need it again?
Top Gunnar
But even after all those long balls Judge has launched, there’s a 22-year-old shortstop right behind him in the AL home run derby. Gunnar Henderson has launched 20 already.
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So I started thinking: What if he winds up leading the league?
Shortstops who have led their league in HR (since 1901)
Alex Rodriguez — three times
Ernie Banks — two times
Fernando Tatis — 2021
Vern Stephens — 1945
But wait. This gets better. How about this list:
Leadoff hitters who have led their league in HR (since 1901)
Kyle Schwarber — 2022*
But that asterisk is a big one. Schwarber led the National League with 46 homers that year, but only 38 of them came as a leadoff man. That’s 82.6 percent, and that’s close enough for me. According to STATS, no other home run champ in the modern era has ever hit leadoff in more than 34 games that season. So batting first is not a thing home run leaders normally do.
But Henderson has hit 100 percent of his home runs as a leadoff hitter. He’s also on pace to hit 51 this year.
So how many men have ever hit 50 homers out of the leadoff hole? None would be a good guess. (Yes, Brady Anderson hit 50 for the Orioles in 1996 but only 35 of them while batting first.) And only Acuña (with 41 last year) has even hit 40 or more as a leadoff man.
And how many men have led their league in homers, with every one of those homers out of the leadoff hole? That would also be none.
So watch out for Gunnar Henderson. He’s Gunn-ing for some serious history.
Elly of the beast
As long as we’re on the subject of shortstops who do stuff other humans don’t do … Elly De La Cruz!
We’re now 66 games into the Reds’ season. And their mega-talented shortstop is already up to 34 stolen bases and 11 home runs.
Have we comprehended how ridiculous that is?
I could find only two other players in history who racked up at least 10 homers and 30 steals in their first 60 games of a season: Rickey Henderson (1985, 1990) and the Reds’ Eric Davis (1986). But how many players have ever done that in their team’s first 60 games?
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I found exactly one: Elly De La Cruz.
He’s on pace for 27 homers and 83 steals. You know how many seasons like that we’ve seen in this sport? If you guessed none, you’re an excellent guesser!
Behind the Skenes
Then there is Paul Skenes, our favorite new electrified arm in baseball, currently firing thunderbolts for the Pirates. Are we sure this guy is a real person? Let’s go with yes. But I’m not sure we’ve ever seen anyone like him.
He’s now five starts into his major-league career. And already …
• He’s thrown more pitches at 100 mph or harder (53) than the guy he’s often compared to, Stephen Strasburg, threw in his whole career (29).
• He’s piled up more swings-and-misses (80) than Shelby Miller, a one-time first-round pick in the draft, got all last season … on 663 pitches.
• He’s up to 38 strikeouts in his first 27 innings in the big leagues. I found three Hall of Famers who didn’t strike out 38 hitters in a whole season back in a slightly different time:
Jim Kaat, 1980 — 37 K, 134 2/3 IP
Jim Palmer, 1981 — 35 K, 127 1/3 IP
Catfish Hunter, 1979 — 34 K, 105 IP
And Skenes has passed all of them … in a month.
So here’s my advice. Whatever you were thinking about doing on a day this guy pitches, don’t do that! Find a way to watch Paul Skenes work his magic for the Pirates. It’s unlike anything or anyone you’ve ever witnessed.
Arraez-aroni
Finally, there’s Luis Arraez. He’s a Padre now. But that’s pretty much the only thing about him that’s changed.
Is he about to lead his league in hitting for the third straight season … for the third different team? He’s on his way, because of course he is.
Just so you have it handy, here’s everyone in the live-ball era who has led his league in batting average at least three seasons in a row:
Rogers Hornsby (5)
Stan Musial
Rod Carew (5)
Wade Boggs (4)
Tony Gwynn
Miguel Cabrera
And that’s it. That’s five Hall of Famers plus Miggy, who will be appearing on a podium in Cooperstown in 2028. Is Luis Arraez heading for the Hall himself? That’ll be a fun conversation someday. But put that one on hold, because there’s one more Arraez feat we can’t ignore.
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You know how many four-hit games he had last month? That would be four. It was his first month as a Padre.
You know how many other Padres in history have had that many games with four hits or more in any calendar month? That answer is … none! And yes, Tony Gwynn was a Padre. But his biggest month was three games of four hits or more, in June of 1989. So he never did it.
And yes, Dave Winfield, Garry Templeton, Roberto Alomar, Steve Garvey, John Kruk and a bunch of other dudes you’ve heard of once played for the Padres. But they never did this, either — in any month.
Then Luis Arraez came along and did it in his first month as a Padre? That would be almost impossible to comprehend, except for one thing. It’s …
Baseball!
GO DEEPER
Weird & Wild's 12 MLB players and teams of the month, from Aaron Judge to the smelly Sox
GO DEEPER
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(Top image: Aaron Judge: Luke Hales / Getty Images; Elly De La Cruz: Jeff Dean / Getty Images)