Playoff Batting Leaders

With their Wild Card Series tied at a game apiece, the Cubs will battle against the Padres this afternoon for the rights to move on and face the Brewers in the NLDS.  With that in mind, it’s time to take an updated look at the offensive leaders from the now 33 post-season games I have attended since 2000.  So, without further ado, we start off with:

Home Runs

Name Total
Kris Bryant 4
Javier Baez 3
Paul Konerko 3
B.J. Upton 3
Dexter Fowler 3
Enrique Hernandez 3

Hits

Name Total
Kris Bryant 11
Javier Baez 11
Dexter Fowler 10
Anthony Rizzo 10
Moises Alou 9
Jason Heyward 9

Runs

Name Total
Dexter Fowler 7
Paul Konerko 6
Daniel Murphy 6
A.J. Pierzynski 5
Kris Bryant 5
Javier Baez 5
Continue reading →

Active Batting Leaders – Through 2024

Last month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2024.  With the end of spring training in sight, Opening Day is right around the corner.  Let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading into the 2025 season.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 49
Tim Anderson 24
Luis Robert 22
Yoan Moncada 16
Avisail Garcia 15
Andrew Vaughn 15

Hits

Name Total
Jose Abreu 273
Tim Anderson 218
Yoan Moncada 133
Avisail Garcia 101
Eloy Jimenez 98

Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 129
Tim Anderson 117
Yoan Moncada 64
Avisail Garcia 58
Luis Robert 56

RBI

Name Total
Jose Abreu 159
Tim Anderson 73
Yoan Moncada Continue reading →

Active Batting Leaders – Through 2023

Last month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2023.  With the end of spring training in sight, Opening Day is right around the corner.  Let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the 2024 season.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 49
Tim Anderson 24
Luis Robert 20
Yoan Moncada 16
Avisail Garcia 15

Hits

Name Total
Jose Abreu 273
Tim Anderson 218
Yoan Moncada 133
Avisail Garcia 101
Yolmer Sanchez 93

Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 129
Tim Anderson 117
Yoan Moncada 64
Avisail Garcia 58
Luis Robert 50

RBI

Name Total
Jose Abreu 159
Tim Anderson 73
Yoan Moncada Continue reading →

Active Batting Leaders – Through 2022

Last month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2022.  With the end of spring training in sight, Opening Day is right around the corner.  Let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the 2023 season.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 49
Tim Anderson 23
Avisail Garcia 15
Javier Baez 13
Miguel Cabrera 13
Yoan Moncada 13

Hits

Name Total
Jose Abreu 273
Tim Anderson 194
Yoan Moncada 113
Avisail Garcia 101
Yolmer Sanchez 93

Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 129
Tim Anderson 107
Avisail Garcia 58
Yoan Moncada 57
Yolmer Sanchez 46

RBI

Name Total
Jose Abreu 159
Tim Anderson 68
Yoan Moncada Continue reading →

The Jason Heyward Era Ends

In news that was both surprising and unsurprising, Jed Hoyer announced before last night’s game that Jason Heyward was unlikely to return from his knee injury this year and that he and the Cubs would be parting ways this offseason.  Heyward, who has been on the IL with a knee injury since late June, has one year remaining on his contract.

Signed to an 8-year, $184 million contract back in December of 2015, Heyward never quite produced enough to justify his lofty contract and, as the Cubs failed to sustain their 2016 success, he became as much of a scapegoat as anyone else on the roster, seeing his playing time reduced.  However, his place in Cubs lore was set when he was credited with leading an inspiring players-only meeting during the 17-minute rain delay at the end of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, after which the Cubs stormed out and took the lead in the 10th inning.

In addition to a World Series ring, Heyward won Gold Glove awards in both 2016 and 2017.  His numbers with the Cubs, both in games I attended and overall, were:

Continue reading →

Active Batting Leaders – Through 2021

Earlier this month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2021.  With the end of this abbreviated spring training in sight, the new Opening Day is right around the corner.  Let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the 2022 season.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 45
Tim Anderson 21
Avisail Garcia 15
Javier Baez 13
Miguel Cabrera 14

Hits

Name Total
Jose Abreu 242
Tim Anderson 168
Adam Eaton 117
Avisail Garcia 101
Yoan Moncada 101

Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 116
Tim Anderson 94
Adam Eaton 60
Avisail Garcia 58
Yoan Moncada 53

RBI

Name Total
Jose Abreu 144
Tim Anderson 62
Avisail Garcia Continue reading →

Against The Cardinals All Time Leaders – Through 2021

cardinalsIn the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs.  We continue today with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals began life in 1891, joining the National League the following year after the dissolution of the old American Association.  They took on the Cardinal name starting in 1900.  I’ve seen them play 33 times at 3 different stadiums, including the 2015 NLDS and, most recently, last May at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Home Runs

Name Total
Moises Alou 6
Michael Barrett 4
Sammy Sosa 3
Aramis Ramirez 3

Hits

Name Total
Moises Alou 16
Derrek Lee 15
Michael Barrett 14
Aramis Ramirez 14
Corey Patterson 14

Runs

Name Total
Moises Alou 12
Sammy Sosa 12
Aramis Ramirez 10

RBI

Name Total
Moises Alou 14
Michael Barrett 10
Aramis Ramirez 9
Alex Gonzalez 9

Doubles

Name Total
Derrek Lee 6
Alex Gonzalez 4
Ryan Theriot 4

Triples Continue reading →

Against The Giants All Time Leaders – Through 2021

giantsIn the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs. We continue today with the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants began life in 1883 in New York, before moving west to San Francisco in 1957. I’ve seen them play 23 times, first at their old home at Candlestick Park in 1999 and most recently this past September at Wrigley Field.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 3
Moises Alou 2
Michael Barrett 2
Javy Baez 2

Hits

Name Total
Derrek Lee 10
Ryan Theriot 7
Aramis Ramirez 7

Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 5
Yolmer Sanchez 5
Derrek Lee 4
Ryan Theriot 4

RBI

Name Total
Jose Abreu 6
Jim Edmonds 5
Yolmer Sanchez 4
Javy Baez 4
Moises Alou 4

Doubles

Name Total
Aramis Ramirez 3
Jim Edmonds 2
Kris Bryant 2
Albert Almora 2

Triples Continue reading →

Against The Dodgers All Time Leaders – Through 2021

dodgersIn the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs. We continue today with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers began life in Brooklyn in 1883, moving to their current home on the west coast, along with their rival Giants, in 1957.  I’ve seen them play 27 times, including the first two games of their 2008 NLDS sweep against the Cubs and their pennant-clinching victory in the 2017 NLCS.

Home Runs

Name Total
Aramis Ramirez 3
Javy Baez 3
Paul Konerko 2
Alexei Ramirez 2
A.J. Pierzynski 2
Josh Fields 2
Willson Contreras 2

Hits

Name Total
Derrek Lee 15
Alfonso Soriano 13
Ryan Theriot 12

Runs

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 7
A.J. Pierzynski 6
Alfonso Soriano 5
Ryan Theriot 5
Aramis Ramirez 5

RBI

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 8
Aramis Ramirez 7
Mark DeRosa 7
Paul Konerko 7

Doubles

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 4
Kris Bryant 4
Derrek Lee 4

Triples Continue reading →

2021 Final Batting Leaders

Another baseball season has come to an end, with the White Sox winning their first division title since 2008 and making the post-season in consecutive seasons for the first time in team history, before losing to the Astros in the ALDS and the Cubs shocking their fanbase with the dismantling of the core that led them to 3 straight NLCSs and a world championship in 2016.  Let’s take a look back at the offensive leaders for the 58 games that I attended this season, with lower capacity crowds in the spring to full capacity at the end:

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 9
Yasmani Grandal 8
Patrick Wisdom 7
Luis Robert 6
Yoan Moncada 5
Tim Anderson 5

Hits

Name Total
Tim Anderson 55
Jose Abreu 49
Yoan Moncada 49
Luis Robert 29
Andrew Vaughn 26

Runs

Name Total
Tim Anderson 32
Yoan Moncada 27
Continue reading →