Below, we present the most striking statistics for the period from May 3 to 9.
Check out Jared Jones: After his most recent start on Saturday, Jared Jones has hit 122 swings this season. This is the most blank swings by a pitcher in the first seven starts of his career since pitches began to be tracked in 2008, surpassing Masahiro Tanaka’s 113, according to MLB’s Jason Bernard. Jones has struck out 52 batters and walked just five. He is the 17th pitcher since at least 1901 with 50 or more strikeouts in the first seven starts of his career. Of those pitchers, he is the first with at least 50 strikeouts and five or fewer walks **.
The third (inning) is the charm:** Brent Rooker had a tremendous third inning on Saturday when he hit home runs of 110.5 miles per hour and 110.6 mph. In doing so, he became the first player with two homers of 110 mph or more in an inning in the Statcast era (since 2015, including the postseason). The only other two players with two batted balls of 110 mph or more in an inning: Dominican Ketel Marte in the top of the first inning of Game 1 of the 2023 National League Division Series (double, ground out) and his compatriot Nelson Cruz on August 20, 2019 in the bottom of the eighth section (two doubles). Rooker became the second player in A’s franchise history with two home runs in one inning, joining Mark McGwire, who accomplished the feat in the fifth inning on September 22, 1996.
Arráez in motion: Last season, Venezuelan Luis Arráez became the second player to win a batting title in consecutive seasons with different teams, joining Benny Kauff in 1914-15 in the Federal League for the Indianapolis Hoosiers and Brooklyn Tip-Tops, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. No one has won a batting title in three straight seasons with three different teams…yet. Arraez got off to a good start for San Diego on Saturday, becoming the first player with a four-hitter in his Padres debut.
10 pitches? No problem: José Ramírez’s home run on Sunday was the fifth of his career in a trip to the plate in which he saw at least 10 pitches. Aside from Ramirez, only one Cleveland hitter has had two such home runs since he started keeping track of pitches in 1988: Casey Blake. In that stretch, only three other major league players have more home runs in plate appearances of 10 pitches or more: Todd Helton (eight), Paul Konerko (seven) and Paul Goldschmidt (six).
Follow the Sho: With his 441-foot homer on Monday, Shohei Ohtani now has three home runs of 440 feet or longer this season. Only three members of the Dodgers have had more home runs of that distance in a season in the Statcast era (since 2015): Joc Pederson in 2015 (seven), Cuban Yasiel Puig in 2017 (six) and Cuban Yasmani Grandal in 2016 (four). We are at the beginning of May. Dodger Stadium has hosted 49 home runs of 440 feet or longer in the Statcast era, the third-fewest of any major league stadium in that span (Petco Park 48, Oracle Park 40). Ohtani already has two this season. The most homers of 440 feet or more by any player at Dodger Stadium is four, by Pederson, and the most in a season is three, by Pederson himself in 2015, by Grandal in 2016 and by Puig in 2017. We remind you that it is the beginning of May.
Spectacular Shota: After his last start on Tuesday, Shota Imanaga has a 1.08 ERA and has walked just five. No pitcher has posted an earned run average this good with that many walks in the first seven outings of his major league career since ERA became an official statistic in both leagues (1913), excluding openers. For his part, the other members of the Cubs since ERA was an official statistic in the National League (1912) with an ERA better than 1.15 and five walks issued or less in a stretch of seven starts in the same season were Jake Arrieta in in 2015, Warren Hacker in 1952 and Grover Alexander in 1920.
High in the mountains: Kyle Harrison had no trouble in his first career start in the hitter’s paradise of Coors Field, pitching seven shutout innings on Tuesday. He became the sixth Giants pitcher with a shutout of at least seven innings at Coors Field. He joined Barry Zito on April 9, 2012 (full game), Tim Lincecum on June 11, 2008, Matt Cain on April 17, 2007, Jason Schmidt on July 17, 2004 (8 EL) and Russ Ortiz on August 28, 2002 (8 EL).
How fast: Following Wednesday’s action, each of the Dodgers’ last five games have been played in under 2:25. It is the first time that the Los Angeles team has played five games of 2:25 or less since they had two separate five-game streaks in 1980 (July 29 to August 3 and June 6 to 11). The last time they had a longer streak was six in a row from July 25-29, 1977. At 1:55, Wednesday was the Dodgers’ fastest nine-inning game since May 4, 2003, which also It was 1:55. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts was the team’s leadoff hitter in that game.
The usual Stanton: With a 118.8 mph home run on Tuesday and a 119.9 mph home run on Wednesday, Giancarlo Stanton is the second player with multiple 118+ mph homers in a calendar month. The other to do it on consecutive days was Aaron Judge on June 10 and 11, 2017. Stanton has hit six homers of 119+ mph calculated by Statcast. The rest of the Major Leagues have hit a total of six in that stretch, including the postseason.
They still haven’t been swept: Teams obviously come into every series trying to win it, but simply avoiding a sweep is also notable. The Orioles enter the weekend having played 103 consecutive multi-game series without being swept. This is the third most consecutive series of two games or more without being swept, according to the Elías Sports Bureau. Only the Cardinals from 1942 to 1944 (125) and the Giants from 1903 to 1905 (106) surpass them.
