Historic Chases · 2026-09-12

Overnight: Kyle Schwarber (PHI) added 2 strikeouts. Schwarber has struck out 210 times, projecting to 228. Mark Reynolds' record is 223. That pace would be the most strikeouts in any season since 1901. League strikeout rates have roughly doubled since 1980, so the all-time list is not an even comparison. But he's doing damage too: he leads MLB in home runs (44) — one every 12.2 at-bats. The strikeouts are the price of the power.

The Padres have won 6 straight, and are 7-3 in their last 10.

The so-what: CJ Abrams (WSH) is on a 30/30 pace — 30 HR and 29 SB, projecting to 32/31. Power and speed usually live in different bodies, which is why fewer than fifty players have ever managed both in one season. Neither half carries it alone; the season has to finish on both.

HISTORY LAST NIGHT: Emmanuel Rodriguez made his MLB DEBUT and went 1-for-4 and homered — and homered in his FIRST MLB AT-BAT ▶︎ watch.

Seasons on a historic footing: Jacob Misiorowski (MIL), 13.17 strikeouts per nine innings, 5th among the 9,603 qualified seasons on file, behind four seasons, led by Gerrit Cole's 13.82 in 2019; Dylan Cease (TOR), 12.66 strikeouts per nine innings, 7th.

What changed from last season: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) — walk rate up from 4.7% to 11.8% (29 in 620 plate appearances in 2025, 77 in 651 this season); Jackson Merrill (SD) — stolen bases up from 1 in 115 games in 2025 to 26 in 145 this season; Nolan Arenado (AZ) — strikeout rate up from 12.2% to 22.8% (49 in 401 at-bats in 2025, 110 in 483 this season); Taylor Ward (SEA) — home-run rate down from 6.2% to 1.4% (36 in 579 at-bats in 2025, 7 in 489 this season). 4 of 798 rate comparisons across 155 qualified hitters and pitchers, corrected for having looked that many times.

Went deep more than once: Francisco Lindor hit 2 home runs, driving in 5 ▶︎ watch.

Lines of the night: CJ Abrams (WSH) stole his 29th base — with 30 home runs banked, he is one steal from a 30/30 season; Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam — and hit 2 home runs, driving in 5 and led off the game with a home run — his 3rd since July 12 ▶︎ watch; The Seattle Mariners hung 19 runs on the Athletics (19-1) — a 18-run margin; Weston Wilson went 5-for-6 — five-hit games happen roughly 20 times a season ▶︎ watch; Randal Grichuk's go-ahead home run in the 9th put the White Sox ahead for good in a 6-5 win over the Cardinals ▶︎ watch.

Also last night: Ben Malgeri's tiebreaking bases-loaded walk in the 8th put the Tigers ahead for good in a 11-7 win over the Rockies ▶︎ watch; Ian Seymour struck out 10 over 6.0 IP ▶︎ watch; Spencer Miles has not allowed a run in his last 12 innings.

Milestones reached last night: Bobby Witt Jr. (KC) reached 40 SB.