This Dansby Swanson kid is electrifying the strikeout world out of the gate. Two more last night gives him a league-leading 20 in just 12 games. That's a pace of 270 right now and he's "hitting ".143 to boot.
In fact our top 5 guys right now in strikeouts are really not knocking the cover off the ball, or even slightly fraying the seams for that matter.
Aristides Aquino of the Reds, the heir apparent to Eugenio Suarez, is tearing it up to the tune of an .067 average and 18 strikeouts in 30 at-bats. Teammate Joey Votto is making a late-career charge at the strikeout lead for the first time in his long career, up to 17 in 11 games with a scintillating .105 average.
Jo Adell of the Angels also has 17 and a .176 average, and Luke Voit, newly of the Padres, has 16 and is hitting .167.
The Yankee trio of Donaldson (15), Stanton (13), and Gallo (11) has racked up 39 in just 10 games, keeping them on pace for 631.8 this year, which would obliterate the suspected 3-teammate record of 535.
Right now the Red triumvirate of Votto, Aquino, and Mike Moustakas (13) are actually outpacing them with a combined 48 through 11 games, which would get them to 706 whiffs on the year. What a showdown! What a talent display!
Also, assuming the Mariners just don't release him, hot-**** prospect Julio Rodriguez 16 K in 9 games, is on pace to shatter the rookie strikeout record. He's on pace for 235, easily ahead of the record pace established way back in the 1980s by Joey Gallo's brother from another mother, Ranger and Astro legend Pete Incaviglia. who struck out 185 times in 153 games in 1986.
And if you don't know much about Pete and you want to see the most incredible stats of all time, check out his
college career at Oklahoma State.In 1985 as a junior, he hit 48 home runs and drove in 143 runs in 75 GAMES. Hit .464, OBP .594, SLG 1.140, OPS 1.734. Just the stupidest numbers you've ever seen in your life. Also walked 80 times, scored 98 runs and stole 14 bases. The Rangers said, eff the minor leagues, you're starting opening day the next year after they drafted him #1.
10 guys drafted off that OSU team. The only other one of real note was Doug Dascenzo. Team went 58-16. And with all that talent they got their asses beat 12-3 in the CWS by a Mississippi State squad featuring a 20-year-old Rafael Palmeiro, a 21-year old Bobby Thigpen, and a 21-year-old Will Clark, who hit .420 with a 1.392 OPS himself.
Life is better with a beagle