Rewriting The Record Books

Listening to a broadcast or play-by-play of any baseball game over the last few seasons, one may notice a large amount of franchise, league or MLB records broken on any given day. While some records are prosaic, like the Los Angeles Dodgers hitting the most home runs in the National League in a single month, others, like New York Mets 1B Pete Alonso clubbing 53 home runs in his rookie campaign, are monumental. There are four single-season records that have withstood the test of time, and these current players have the ability to rewrite the history books on these longstanding and seemingly unbreakable records.

Record: CF Joe DiMaggio’s 56-Game Hitting Streak

Player: NYY 2B DJ LeMahieu

From May 15, 1941, to July 16, 1941, Yankees Hall of Fame OF Joe DiMaggio achieved one of baseball’s most noteworthy records. During his 56-game hitting streak, DiMaggio batted .408 with 35 extra-base hits. No player has even eclipsed another hitting streak of at least 50 games, while only five players have achieved a 40-game hitting streak.

While baseball fans are still wondering where 2B DJ LeMahieu will sign this offseason, they do know about his amazing hitting abilities — particularly during his last two seasons with the Yankees. During his two years in New York, LeMahieu has finished in the top five in the American League in both hits and batting average, including a 2020 batting title after hitting .364. What makes LeMahieu the most likely candidate to break DiMaggio’s 80-year record is his ability to hit the ball to all fields and his low strikeout rate. In 2020, LeMahieu had a 9.7 K% and the majority of his hits went to right and right-center field. Breaking DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak seems extremely unlikely, but if LeMahieu can consistently put the ball in play and utilize the entire field, DiMaggio’s record could fall.

Record: INF Nap Lajoie’s .426 Batting Average

Player: CWS 2B Nick Madrigal

Since 1901, only eight players have eclipsed the .400 batting average mark 13 times for a single season in MLB history. The single-season record belongs to Hall of Famer INF Nap Lajoie who batted an astronomical .426 with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901. Lajoie’s record came during the period known as the Dead Ball Era, which was characterized by low offensive production and a greater emphasis on pitching and defense. Not only did Lajoie lead the majors batting average in 1901, but he also hit a major league-leading 14 home runs and 48 doubles, becoming one of the best power hitters of the Dead Ball Era. The last player to hit over .400 in a season was Ted Williams in 1941 after posting a .406 average.

In 2020, the Chicago White Sox’s 2018 first round pick, 2B Nick Madrigal, made his Major League debut and posted an impressive .340 average with a 6.4 K%. However, the 5-foot-8 Madrigal lacked in the power department after only notching three extra-base hits—all of which were doubles—leading to a minuscule .369 slugging percentage. While it may take time for Madrigal to find his power stroke, it is almost certain that he will put the ball in play on a consistent basis and hit many line-drive singles. For Madrigal to eclipse the .400 batting average mark, he would need to post a slugging percentage in the .550 to .600 range. Players who achieved a .400 batting average in the Dead Ball Era, such as OF Ty Cobb and OF Joseph “Shoeless Joe” Jackson, each posted slugging percentages of at least .550. Madrigal is well on his way to winning several batting titles, but if he wants to reach the exclusive .400 club, his extra-base hit production will need to increase.

Record: OF Barry Bonds’ Single Season Walk Record (232)

Player: WSH OF Juan Soto

From 2000-04, no batter in MLB was more feared than San Francisco Giants OF Barry Bonds. During that span, Bonds hit 258 home runs, including a record-breaking 73 in 2001. Bonds also led the majors in walks during each of those seasons, averaging just over 174 walks per season. His greatest walk total during that span came in 2004 when Bonds walked 232 times, becoming the first player to walk over 200 times in a single season. Not only were pitchers pitching around Bonds, but they also issued him 120 intentional walks.

Ever since making his Major League debut in 2018 as a 19-year-old phenomenon, Washington Nationals LF Juan Soto has emerged as one of baseball’s best and most patient hitters. Soto has posted a walk % of at least 16% in each of his first three seasons, including 20.9% in 2020. Soto has also posted an OPS of above .900 in each of his first three seasons and has never had an on OBP of under .400. Entering his age-22 season, Soto still has an extremely high ceiling and his best offensive seasons have yet to come. If Soto continues to build off his first three tremendous campaigns, managers may start to give Soto the Bonds treatment and he could surpass the single-season walk record.

Record: OF Chief Wilson’s Single Season Triples Record (36)

Player: KC SS Adalberto Mondesí

A triple is the rarest hit to record in baseball. The amount of home runs and doubles hit each season far outnumber the rate of triples. So when Pittsburgh Pirates RF Chief Wilson hit 36 triples in 1912, it was sure to become an untouchable achievement. Since 1901 no player has eclipsed the 30 triples mark, and in the 21st century only OF Curtis Granderson, SS Cristian Guzmán and SS Jimmy Rollins have hit at least 20 triples in a single season. Hitting a triple in the modern era of baseball is so rare that only 19 players have reached double-digit triples in a single season since 2015.

In 2019—MLB’s last 162-game season—Royals SS Adalberto Mondesí and two of his Royals teammates (UTIL Whit Merrifield and INF Hunter Dozier) led the American League with 10 triples. What sets Mondesí apart from Merrifield and Dozier is his blazing speed — he was ranked in the 98th percentile in sprint speed during his last three seasons. One of Mondesí’s biggest weaknesses is his plate discipline, as he owns a career 29.7 K% and has never had below a 26 K% in a single season. On the positive side, Mondesí, 25, is still young and has shown that he is a solid professional hitter after posting a 1.075 OPS in September and ending the season on a strong note. Expect Mondesí to top the list of triples leaders on a yearly basis, and maybe one year he will be able to break Wilson’s 108-year-old record.