Historic Chases · 2026-07-17

Kyle Schwarber (PHI) has struck out 145 times, projecting to 240. Mark Reynolds' record is 223. That pace would be the most strikeouts in any season since 1901. But he's doing damage too: he leads MLB in home runs (32) — one every 11.1 at-bats. The strikeouts are the price of the power.

The AL Central is a coin flip: Sox (51-45) lead Guardians by 0.5. The Nationals' single-season record is 46 home runs, set by Alfonso Soriano in 2006. James Wood (WSH) projects to 46 and would tie it.

History movers: Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — Triple Crown (AL) · Athletics — Losing Streak: 10 now, modern record 23 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1961).

Lines of the night: Andrés Chaparro drove in 8 runs ▶︎ watch; Spencer Steer hit an INSIDE-THE-PARK home run — a half-dozen or so happen a season ▶︎ watch; Harry Ford hit his first career home run ▶︎ watch; Lucas Spence made his MLB DEBUT and went 1-for-3 ▶︎ watch; Tommy White made his MLB DEBUT and went 1-for-4 ▶︎ watch.

Also last night: Craig Yoho earned his first career win; Cam Sanders earned his first career win ▶︎ watch.

What changed from last season: Jackson Merrill (SD) — stolen bases up from 1 in 115 games in 2025 to 19 in 94 this season; Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) — walk rate up from 4.7% to 11.7% (29 in 620 plate appearances in 2025, 48 in 409 this season); Junior Caminero (TB) — walk rate up from 6.4% to 12.7% (41 in 643 plate appearances in 2025, 53 in 416 this season). 3 of 324 rate comparisons across 63 men on this season's leaderboards, corrected for having looked that many times.

The so-what: Kyle Schwarber (PHI) has 32 home runs through 98 team games, a 53-homer pace — 11 behind McGwire's 1998 total at the same point (43 of his eventual 70). Keep watching that number — it separates a run at the record from a very good season.