Here’s our weekly look at 10 mind-blowing notes from the last week in baseball (Aug. 21-27).
Can you believe it happened again?! After Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a leadoff home run on Aug. 17, then ended the game with a walk-off home run, Randy Arozarena did the same thing on Saturday -- against the Cubs. He became only the seventh player with a leadoff and walk-off home run in the same game, per Elias, joining Crow-Armstrong, Chris Young on Aug. 7, 2010, Ian Kinsler on July 19, 2009, Reed Johnson on June 15, 2003, Darin Erstad on June 25, 2000, and Vic Power on May 7, 1957. Only Arozarena, Crow-Armstrong and Power did this with a first-pitch leadoff homer.
Seriously, all of it: He wasn’t done. Arozarena then led off the game with a homer on Sunday, just as Crow-Armstrong had last Tuesday. He became the 14th player since at least 1900 with a leadoff home run in the next team game after he hit a walk-off home run, per Elias. They’re also the first players with multiple leadoff homers and a walk-off homer in a two-game span -- and they did it in the same week. Baseball is the best.
For three: Cal Raleigh recorded his first career three-homer game on Monday. He became the second player in Mariners history with a three-homer game while playing catcher, joining his manager, Dan Wilson, on April 11, 1996. Raleigh became the third player in MLB history to hit at least three homers in a game against a team that entered on a win streak of nine or more games, as the Phillies did. He joined Gus Bell on July 21, 1955, also against the Phillies, and Moose Solters on July 7, 1935, against the Tigers. Raleigh is the only one whose team won and snapped the opponent’s streak.
Walk-off Waldy: Ryan Waldschmidt did it again on Tuesday, hitting yet another walk-off home run. He’s the only player with multiple walk-off homers while trailing in MLB this year. He’s also one of just four rookies in MLB history with two walk-off homers while trailing in a season, per Elias. He joined 2006 Ryan Zimmerman, 1994 Bob Hamelin and 1943 Butch Nieman. Waldschmidt is one of five players in MLB history with two walk-off homers within their first three career home runs, along with Will Smith, James McCann (Waldschmidt’s current teammate!), Kevin Romine and Kirby Higbe.
Schwarbs: Kyle Schwarber hit his 40th home run of the season on Wednesday. This is Schwarber’s fourth season with at least 40 home runs with the Phillies, tying Ryan Howard for the most such seasons in franchise history. That’s also his 227th since joining the Phillies. That’s the second-most home runs by a player in his first five seasons with a team, behind only Babe Ruth (NYY: 235). And there’s plenty of season left.
Rafi: Rafael Devers has 17 home runs at Oracle Park this season after going yard in a third consecutive game on Wednesday. That’s the most at the venue since Barry Bonds hit 26 there in 2004. Devers and Bonds (5x) are the only players to hit at least that many homers there in a season. From 2005-24, no Giants player hit 30 homers for the team in a season. In 2025, Willy Adames got there on the final day of the season. Now, Devers might get there before September. His 29 homers are the most through 133 team games for the club since 2004 Bonds (38).
Wheeeeee: The Reds won on Wednesday despite trailing by six runs entering the ninth. The Reds are now 3-1,917 all-time when trailing by at least six runs entering the ninth inning, per Elias. Wednesday’s win joined one on May 8, 1958, at the Cubs and May 8, 1918, at the Cardinals. On the other side, the Giants entered the day 2,208-0 in franchise history when leading by at least six runs entering the ninth inning. The Giants were one of 12 current franchises that coming into Wednesday had never lost such a game, but only two others predated 1960s expansion (Red Sox & Yankees) and none began play before 1900 like the Giants did.
White Sox winning ways: The White Sox won their 70th game on Wednesday. That tied the most wins by a team following at least three consecutive 100 or more loss seasons, with the 2014 Astros, 1965 Senators and 1925 Boston Braves. It’s August. In related news, no team has made the playoffs following even two straight 100-loss seasons. Yet.
Super Sal: Sal Stewart leads MLB with 100 RBIs entering Friday. He’s the first rookie with at least 100 RBIs in a season since Pete Alonso had 120 in 2019. Just two rookies have led at least their league in RBIs for a season (RBIs official since 1920): 1950 Walt Dropo (144 RBIs) and 1939 Ted Williams (144 RBIs per Elias). Both led MLB. Will Stewart become the third?
Current Ironman: Matt Olson has played 916 consecutive games entering Friday, dating to May 2, 2021. His streak is the eighth-longest in MLB history. The only other streaks of at least 700 consecutive games to begin in the divisional era (1969) are, of course, 1982-98 Cal Ripken Jr. (2,632 games), as well as 1975-83 Steve Garvey (1,207), 2000-07 Miguel Tejada (1,152), 1978-83 Pete Rose (745) and 1981-86 Dale Murphy (740).