The most effective group in baseball has one of many hottest hitters of this younger season, however there’s a younger sizzling hitter additionally on his personal 12-game streak, so I believed it’d be enjoyable to debate over whose accomplishment is extra spectacular: The Tampa Bay Rays’ 12-game profitable streak, or St. Louis Cardinals rookie Jordan Walker’s 12-game hitting streak?
The 2023 MLB season has featured a number of constants, and whereas shortened video games are absolutely right here to remain, we’ll quickly get a sport by which the Rays lose or Walker goes hitless. This seems like a query the announcer would serve as much as Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon on PTI, so I’ll argue it as such. (My apologies in the event that they’ve already accomplished this. I haven’t watched a lot of that program previously decade, and final I noticed was when Wilbon went full fanboy over Patrick Kane’s departure from his beloved Blackhawks.)
OK, let’s start, and permit me to apologize now if this sucks, however it feels prefer it might be humorous.
Right here’s the way it could play out on PTI
MW: Tony, this isn’t even a query. It’s Tampa. I hate the Cardinals, so I used to be by no means going to select Jordan Walker within the first place. Nonetheless, we’re 12 video games into the season, and the Rays have a run differential of +65.
That’s higher than 4 playoff groups from a 12 months in the past, together with the Phillies, who went to the World Sequence. I do know that has no bearing on what we’re arguing, however it sounds spectacular after I yell it. TAMPA IS BETTER THAN LAST YEAR’S WORLD SERIES RUNNER-UP!
TK: First, I applaud you for acknowledging your bias though final time you went to Wrigley you have been met with chants of “Akron hates you.” Second, you failed to say that we’ve seen groups get off to sizzling begins like this with our personal eyes. We’re now decrepit, however we have been nonetheless thought-about previous when Milwaukee and Atlanta began 13-0 in 1987 and ’82, respectively.
Neither of us was alive — nicely perhaps you have been — the final time a rookie recorded successful within the first 12 video games of a season-slash-his large league profession. *Places on glasses to learn stat* The final participant to do it was Eddie Murphy of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1912.
Mike, that tells me it’s an especially troublesome factor to do, and undoubtedly tougher than beating the groups Tampa has performed.
MW: OK, let me learn you two stat traces, and also you inform me which is best: .340/.377/.720 with 17 hits, 4 dwelling runs, and 12 RBI, or .319/.360/.489 together with 15 hits, two homers, and eight RBI. The second is Walker. The primary is Wander Franco. So not solely does Tampa have the higher file — St. Louis is 5-7 and Walker is among the few gamers hitting for that group — additionally they have the warmer bat.
TK: We’re not evaluating groups, however should you’d like to check competitors we are able to. Tampa has swept Detroit (2-9), Washington (4-9), Oakland (3-9), and Boston (5-7). That’s a complete file of 14-34. They’re crushing minor league groups and pitching that Walker was crushing a 12 months in the past.
The Cardinals’ proper fielder has confronted Atlanta, Milwaukee, Toronto, and Colorado. They’re 30-20 mixed, and three of these golf equipment are projected to be playoff groups. I simply don’t know if I can sound any extra irritated, so I’ll kick it to you and await the following subject to complain about.
MW: Umm, I’m out of factors. Can we get the bell? Stat boy, err, Reali? Are you there? How about you, narrator? No, simply an web author in control of my features. Oh my god, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than he makes me say one thing dum—
“Hello, I’m Michael Wilbon, and I really like the Cubs and Northwestern, and every part from Chicago, together with Patrick Kane. My favourite participant ever. I’m not going to say his off-ice issues or how problematic that franchise is. I simply need to speak about Stanley Cups and parades.”
Annndddddd, I feel I’ve taken this so far as I need to.
