In the previous column, I wrote about the results of my research on the home run and batting average rankings of all the Run Batted In (RBIs)–leading hitters in each league since the start of modern Major League Baseball. This time, I'll present the results of my research on the batting average rankings of all the league–leading home run hitters since the start of modern Major League Baseball, and conversely, the home run rankings of all the league–leading batting average hit

At the conclusion of last year's (2025) regular season, I noticed something surprising regarding the players who led their respective leagues in Runs Batted In (RBIs). In the National League, the RBI leader was Kyle Schwarber, who also topped the league in home runs. While this fact didn't seem odd, I was surprised to find his batting average ranked extremely low—60th in the league. Meanwhile, the American League RBI leader was Cal Raleigh—who also led the league in home run

This year, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers was selected as the 2025 National League MVP, unanimously so. As a huge Shohei Ohtani fan, I was thrilled by the result, but I was also surprised. I thought that while Shohei Ohtani might be selected, it wouldn't be a unanimous vote, and that it would be a close race between him and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies. While Shohei Ohtani, a two-way player, led in metrics like OPS and WAR, he didn’t win any of the th

This year, in 2025, I was both amazed and deeply impressed by what Seattle Mariners catcher and switch-hitter Cal Raleigh accomplished. In 1970, Johnny Bench set the record for most home runs by a catcher in a single season with 45. In 2021, Salvador Pérez, who surpassed Bench's record, had 48 home runs. Cal Raleigh has now achieved the incredible feat of breaking that record with 60 home runs. His 60 home runs also surpassed Ken Griffey Jr.'s previous record of 56 in 1997 a

It's fair to say that Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the two most representative superstars in Major League Baseball today. These two players performed remarkably well this year during the 2025 regular season, though both also had their share of disappointments. This time, I'd like to look back on their accomplishments and disappointments. A concise but well-written biography of Aaron Judge by Clayton Geoffreys (2020) A press photo collection of Shohei Ohtani from the firs