Monday, May 25, 2026

2026-0518 Twenty-first century Rookies of the Year who Bat LEFT but Throw RIGHT

MONDAY  — 18-May-2026

Q.  Who is the youngest position player to play in an All-Star game?

Hint: #1  He won the Home Run Derby the year it was held in his home team’s ballpark.

Hint: #2  He chose his uniform number to honor the player he most admired, Mickey Mantle.

Hint: #3  He and another recent Rookie-of-the-Year winner have known each other since they were nine years old.  They played with and against each other and entered the majors just a few seasons apart.

A.  BRYCE HARPER  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  On 10-Jul-2012 at 19 years, 268 days old, Harper played in the ASG at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City as the NL beat the AL 8-0.  Pitcher Dwight Gooden was 19 years, 237 days old when he played in the 1984 ASG.

-  #1  Harper defeated future teammate Kyle Schwarber in the HRD finals in an extra-time swing-off, 19-18.

-  #2  Harper wears #34, reasoning that 3+4=7, Mantle’s number.

-  #3  Kris Bryant (NL ROYH 2015) & Harper both grew up in Las Vegas where the climate is conducive to year-round play.  Harper’s rookie season was 2012; Bryant’s 2015.

FCR -  Joe Thompson, Splendora, Texas

Incorrect guesses:  Robin Yount, Julio Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, Chipper Jones, Al Kaline, Eddie Mathews

 

 

TUESDAY  — 19-May-2026

Q.  Who is the only player to win more than one MVP unanimously?

Hint: #1  He is also the only player to win a National League MVP after winning an American League MVP.

Hint: #2  One season, his team held three separate bobblehead days with different bobbleheads depicting him.

A.  SHOHEI OHTANI  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  All of Ohtani’s MVPs, 2021, 2023, 2024 & 2025, were unanimous.

-  #1  Only he and Frank Robinson have won MVPs in both leagues.

-  #2  In 2025 Ohtani Bobblehead days were 02-Apr, 15-May & 27 Aug.  All are available on eBay.

FCR -  Jason Winston, Riverside, California

Incorrect guesses:  Frank Robinson

 

 

TUESDAY TWICE  — 19-May-2026

Q.  Who is MLB’s all-time leader in SO/BB or strikeouts per walk issued, more being better? [Per B-R]

Hint: #1  Even though he didn’t enter the majors until midway through May in his first year, he was voted Rookie of the Month twice.

Hint: #2  He and a fellow alumnus of a very small university have each won two Cy Young Awards.

A.  JACOB DeGROM  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  DeGrom’s career 5.42 SO/BB heads the field, but the holder of the 2nd-place number is another active pitcher, Chris Sale. [Source:  Baseball-Reference]

-  #1  He was the Rookie of the Month in the NL in July and September of 2014.

-  #2  DeGrom was the NL CYA in 2018 & 2019, both years missing unanimity by a single vote.  Corey Kluber, a 2-time winner of the AL CYA, 2014 & 2017, both attended Stetson University in Deland, Florida, student enrollment just over 2,000.

FCR -  David Kaiser, Watertown, New York 

Incorrect guesses:  Tarik Skubal

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 20-May-2026

Q.  Who is the only position player National League Rookie of the Year winner to also be named World Series Most Valuable Player in the same season?

Hint: #1  He is the first player to be named World Series MVP for teams in both leagues.

Hint: #2  His brother was a major league All-star before he was.

A.  COREY SEAGER  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  His unanimous ROY in 2016 was a precursor to his 2 HR, 5 RBI & .400 average in the 2020 World Series, earning him Series MVP honors.  He was also the MVP in the preceding NLCS when the Dodgers qualified to advance to the World Series.

-  #1  Seager was the 2020 WS MVP w/LAD & 2023 WS MVP w/TEX

-  #2  Kyle Seager, his brother 7 years his senior, represented the AL in the 2014 All-Star Game, his only All-Star appearance.  Corey has been an All-Star, 2 X for the NL; 3X for the AL.

FCR -  Brett Moore, Studio City, California

Incorrect guesses:  Larry Sherry, Livan Hernandez, Geoff Bagwell, Current players who won ROY and played for two teams exactly

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  20-May-2026

Q.  Who is the only unanimous winner of the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award while playing for a major league team domiciled in the state of Texas?

Hint: #1  He played well enough to be chosen for the Futures Game two years in a row.

Hint: #2  He was the Rookie of the Month three times in his debut season.

A.  YORDAN ALVAREZ  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Alvarez was elected ROY unanimously in 2019 playing for the Astros.

-  #1  He played in the Futures Games in 2017 & 2018.

-  #2  He was Rookie of the Month in June, July & August in 2019, helping the Astros win the AL pennant.

FCR -  Joe Thompson, Spendora, Texas

Incorrect guesses:  Carlos Correia, Josh Hamilton, Jeff Bagwell 

 

 

THURSDAY  — 21-May-2026

Q.  Players elected Rookie of the Year unanimously who played for the Orioles are:

Frank Robinson in 1956 for CIN.  Played for BAL in 1966-1971,

Craig Kimbrell in 2011 for ATL.  Played for BAL in 2024 and

__________ in _______ for ____.  Played for BAL in __________?

Hint: #1  He appeared on the cover package of the popular video game “The Show”.

Hint: #2  He won a Silver Slugger Award at a difficult position in his first year eligible.

A.  GUNNAR HENDERSON  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Henderson was ROY in 2023 for BAL and has played for BAL ever since.

-  #1  Click here to see the box cover he shared with rising stars Paul Skenes (PIT) & Elly De La Cruz (CIN).

-  #2  Henderson won a Silver Slugger bat at the end of his rookie season, 2023 as a Utility Player.

FCR -  Barry Nelson, Guilderland,  New York

Incorrect guesses:  Cal Ripken, Pete Alonso

 

 

FRIDAY  — 22-May-2026

Q.  Which former Bear is the only pitcher in baseball’s modern era to pitch a shutout and hit a home run in his major-league debut?

Hint: #1  To make sure everybody knew about it, he did it in New York.

Hint: #2  In high school in Texas, he won football All-District honors at both kicker and punter.  In baseball, as a senior, he was named the District MVP.

A.  JASON JENNINGS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 23-Aug-2001, Jennings beat the Mets at Shea Stadium by pitching a 5-hit, complete-game shutout, striking out 8 & walking only 4.  He played for the Baylor Bears in college

-  #1  So impressed was the Hall of Fame that they contacted the Rockies, inquiring about displaying memorabilia from Jennings’ debut game.

-  #2  Jennings attended Poteet High School in Mesquite, Texas, and was a standout in both football & baseball.

FCR -  Barry Nelson, Guilderland,  New York

Incorrect guesses:  George Halas

 

 

SATURDAY  — 23-May-2026

Q.  Which former Pirate became famous as good luck charm because he helped three separate teams reach the World Series in three consecutive seasons, two of them finishing as champs?

Hint: #1  It was in helping the reigning unanimous Rookie of the Year winner that he became aware of his own potential as a coach.

Hint: #2  He had a career as coach of four different teams after his twelve years of playing days ended.

A.  ERIC HINSKE  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Hinske was with BOS in 2007; Tampa Bay in 2008 & the Yankees in 2009.  He played with PIT briefly in 2009.

-  #1  He helped mentor Evan Longoria in 2008 rise to finish 2nd on the AL Champions’ in WAR at 4.8.

-  #2  Hinske coached for CHC 2014-2017, LAA in 2018, ARI 2019-2021 & NYY 2023 for a total of 9 seasons.

FCR -  Dan Greder, Ames, Iowa

Incorrect guesses:  Lonnie Smith, Bob Skinner, Don Baylor, Bill Virdon

 

 

SUNDAY  — 24-May-2026

Q.  Which former Tiger homered in consecutive games against Boston this month?

Hint: #1  The Wisconsin native hit a home run for the National League team in the 2024 Futures Game, starting at designated hitter.

Hint: #2  He was a star in college and has done even better in the majors.

A.  DRAKE BALDWIN  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Baldwin went deep on 15-May & 16-May-2026 in Atlanta, both to deep center field.  Both of these home runs against Boston disappeared beyond the shrubs in straightaway center.  In college, he played for the University of Missouri Tigers.

-  #1  Starting at DH in the Futures Game, he grounded out against Caden Dana then hit a sac fly off A.J. Blubaugh & homered off Fernando Perez.

-  #2  Some college highlights (First 6 minutes)

FCR -  Michael McCroskey, Sugar Land, Texas

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

THEME:  They’re all BLTR ROYs this century.

ROY  Lg  Name                 Team        RWAR*     WAR**        Til

2019 NL Alvarez........ 2019....... 3.7....... 26.0......... ~-

2025 NL Baldwin....... ATL........ 3.3......... 5.6.......... ~

2014 NL DeGrom....... NYM....... 3.5....... 49.2.......... ~

2012 NL Harper......... WSN....... 5.2....... 55.2.......... ~

2023 AL Henderson... 2023....... 6.1....... 21.6.......... ~

2002 AL Hinske......... TOR....... 4.0......... 7.8....... 2013

2002 NL Jennings...... COL........ 2.7....... 11.2....... 2009

2018 AL Ohtani.......... LAA........ 4.1....... 54.6.......... ~

2016 NL Seager......... LAD........ 5.3....... 44.0.......... ~

Also qualifying:

2009 NL Coghlan....... FLA........ 1.1......... 1.0....... 2017

2001 AL Ichiro............ SEA........ 7.7....... 60.0....... 2019

*WAR for rookie season

**Up to date career WAR

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme –

 

Incorrect theme guess:

 Wed     -  Current players who won ROY and played for two teams exactly


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