Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today's games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Thanks for being here. Is it too early to put Bobby Witt Jr. on "DiMaggio Watch"? Maybe not.
On Tuesday night, the face of the Royals' franchise became the first player this season to record a 20-game hitting streak. It's a career-best run for Witt, who hadn't previously tallied a streak beyond 15 games. That's kind of surprising since he led the Majors in batting average last year (.332) and enjoyed a month-long stretch during the middle of that summer when he batted an even .500.
Regardless, Witt is more than a third of the way to the Yankee Clipper's hallowed record of 56 consecutive games with at least one knock. And given the 24-year-old Witt's ability to spray the ball around the field and handle every pitch type, this active streak might have some legs.
Here are some landmarks to keep in mind as Witt continues his march toward 56.
Most recent 25-game hitting streak
Witt is just a few games away from achieving something that has been done only once in the past 22 months. Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds recorded the lone 25-game hitting streak of 2024. He reached that number on June 29 and went no further.
Most recent 30-game hitting streak
Witt will put himself on this list if he can get to 30 consecutive games. It would also tie him with Royals legend George Brett for the second-longest hitting streak in franchise history, one shy of Whit Merrifield's record of 31 games. Merrifield's streak, which spanned from Sept. 10, 2018, through April 10, 2019, stands as the last time a big leaguer reached the big 3-0.
Most recent 35-game hitting streak
If Witt passes Whit on the hit list and extends it to 35 games, he'll be just the 16th player in Major League history to do so. This was last accomplished by Phillies star Chase Utley, whose streak was snapped at 35 games on Aug. 4, 2006. Teammate Jimmy Rollins had a 38-gamer that ended earlier that year.
Most recent 40-game hitting streak
And finally, this is when we would have to upgrade that "Watch" to a "Warning," if we haven't already. At this point, everyone is glued to every Witt at-bat. There are only six players in this club, and only one player -- Pete Rose in 1978 -- has reached 40 consecutive games since DiMaggio set one of the greatest records in baseball history in 1941.
It may feel like we're far away from this scenario. But Witt is already halfway there. -- Brian Murphy |
AND THE GOLD GLOVE GOES TO ... |
It's hard to lose when you absolutely will not give up a run, which helps explain the Mets' MLB-best 21-9 record. There might be no better microcosm of the Amazin's charmed start than their defensive clinic in the fourth inning of last night's win over the D-backs, who scorched the ball three times with an average exit velocity of 104.4 mph but came away with a 0 on the board. Francisco Lindor made the most of a lucky bounce for the first out and snared a 111.8 mph laser to end the inning, but as Anthony DiComo details, Tyrone Taylor's diving grab in between might go down as the Mets' catch of the year. The whole scene left pitcher David Peterson laughing in disbelief (and with more than a little gratitude): "I've never seen anything like that." -- Tom Vourtsis |
- Twins @ Guardians (6:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): Last night these two teams had to wait out a three-hour-plus rain delay, but it was worth it for the Guardians, who won in dramatic fashion on Kyle Manzardo's first career walk-off homer. The Twins have been ravaged by injuries, and they send Pablo López to the mound tonight for his second start since returning from an IL stint of his own.
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- Nationals @ Phillies (6:45 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): The opener of this series was a doozy, with the Nationals pulling ahead on a two-out ninth-inning homer, only to get walked off in the bottom of the frame on a wild pitch. The Nats have proven themselves worthy competitors in a strong division, and they'll get the chance to bounce back against Phils southpaw Cristopher Sánchez, who makes his first start since leaving a game on April 22 with forearm soreness.
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Already this season, we've seen clubs pay homage to a counterculture Mecca and a basketball dynasty with their Nike City Connect uniforms, and the Marlins' just-announced "Retrowave" unis throw a splash of neon into the mix. When it's worn by Marlins players this weekend, the "305" cap will be the first to sport a team's area code, and the jersey features nods to the franchise's past (teal) and Miami's vibrant culture (pink). Christina De Nicola has a full breakdown of the kits, which the club will wear for every Saturday home game this year and can be purchased by fans starting this weekend. |
The list of remarkable Willie Mays feats and stats is very (very!) long, but you can make a case that none was more impressive than his effort on this day 64 years ago, given the circumstances. So weakened by food poisoning that he asked manager Alvin Dark to sit out, Mays was persuaded to play when a teammate offered him a lighter bat. By the end of the Giants' 14-4 rout, Mays had become just the ninth player in history to hit four homers in a game, something done just 10 times since (most recently by Eugenio Suárez last weekend). It may not have come in a World Series game, like the greatest catch ever, but Mays' four-homer game stands as a singular peak in a career full of them. |
Can you guess today's mystery player using clues like age, league, division, position and place of birth? You'll have nine tries to get it right. Good luck! Play here >> |
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