33 Responses to “Best Hitting Streaks By Pitchers Since 1920”

1. John Autin Says:
   February 1st, 2011 at 11:56 am

   Zambrano's streak is made even more impressive by the fact that he got 3 AB or fewer in 12 of the 13 games.

2. fredsbank Says:
   February 1st, 2011 at 12:07 pm

   it would be even more interesting to contrast these streaks with their performances on the mound while they were occuring

3. Dan Says:
   February 1st, 2011 at 12:07 pm

   I didn't realize what a good hitter Zambrano was until I saw this. His numbers are up there with the best hitting pitchers - Hampton, Glavine etc. (Except the Babe of course)

4. John Autin Says:
   February 1st, 2011 at 12:18 pm

   Random tangent: No pitcher has hit for the cycle in the game-searchable era.

   Zambrano had a chance to try for the cycle on April 28, 2009. Having already singled and doubled, he led off the top of the 7th with a HR, and was guaranteed another AB if he stayed in the game -- but he was lifted after 7 IP, having thrown 111 pitches.

   Micah Owings actually came to bat needing a triple for the cycle on August 18, 2007, but he lined out to 1B. Owings went 4 for 5 with 2 HRs, a double, 6 RBI and 4 Runs. His 11 Total Bases are the most by a pitcher since 1942, and 2 more than any pitcher since 1958. On the mound, Owings allowed 3 hits in 7 IP, all solo HRs, and struck out 7 without a walk.

   Three pitchers have missed the cycle by a single, including Grover Cleveland Alexander on June 20, 1925. Despite Pete's batting feats (and another HR by Gabby Hartnett), the Cubs lost the game, 3-2.

5. Fitz Says:
   February 1st, 2011 at 12:25 pm

   Nothing from (yankkes next free agent target, zing!!) Dontrelle WiIlis? Didn't he have like 12 consecutive ABs with a hit, or something?

6. John Autin Says:
   February 1st, 2011 at 12:26 pm

   @3, Dan -- Yeah, Zambrano's a real threat ... when he makes contact. But as it is with his mound role, he still needs to master the strike zone: His K/BB ratio (218-8) is the 9th worst of any player with at least 500 PAs. (The all-time worst is Brad Penny, with 167 Ks and just 3 walks.)

7. ajnrules Says:
   February 1st, 2011 at 12:27 pm

   According to the death certificate available on thedeadballera.com, Lynn Nelson died of carcinoma of the colon

   Interesting that Walter Johnson had two such streaks in his 1925 season. No wonder he set the record for batting average by a pitcher.

8. Steve Lombardi Says:
   February 1st, 2011 at 12:31 pm

   Thanks for the info ajnrules

9. Brian Says:
   February 1st, 2011 at 12:37 pm

   CC Sabathia had an 8-game hitting streak from 6/5/2003 to 6/27/2006.

10. John Autin Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    I hate to be a fly in the ointment, Steve, but I think some of these "hitting streaks" are not really as long as shown above. I've checked the top 6, and 3 were interrupted by hitless ABs as a pinch-hitter:

    -- Zambrano's streak was broken up by 2 PH outs, 7/10/08 and 8/16/08.

    -- Walter Johnson's streak was broken up by 2 PH outs, 8/20/25 and 8/24/25.

    -- Rhoden's streak was snapped by a PH GIDP on 7/21/84.

    (On the other hand, Johnny Sain actually extended his streak with a PH single.)

11. John Autin Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 12:46 pm

    W.Johnson's 10-game streak listed above was actually a 9-game hitting streak that included two 9th-inning, "victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat" pinch-hits -- a walk-off 2-run double against Herb Pennock for a 2-1 win, and a 2-run HR for a 4-3 win.

12. Steve Lombardi Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    John - thanks. That seems odd. I wonder if there's an issue with the query?

13. Steve Lombardi Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    Maybe the issue is that I looked for games as a "P" and not games as a "P" or "PH"?

14. Leatherman Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 12:48 pm

    Rick Sutcliffe's 8 game streak in 1979 was interrupted by a hitless pinch hit attempt as well. Sutcliffe's 17 RBIs in 1979 are the most in a single season by a pitcher since 1971.

15. Leatherman Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 1:25 pm

    Here are the streaks which include appearances as a pinch hitter as well: http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/share.cgi?id=9nCpZ

    I only did streaks of 9 games or more, plus the 8 game streaks of the last 40 years.

16. John Autin Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 1:32 pm

    Wes Ferrell is the only one on this list with more than 3 HRs in his streak. In 1933, Wes Ferrell homered (as a pitcher) in 3 straight starts, and 5 out of 8. In the "9-game streak" listed here, he had the most runs of any of these streaks (11, tied) and the 2nd-most RBI (tied for 2nd).

    BTW, I was trying to figure out why Ferrell's "9-game streak" extends from July '33 to June '34, even though he played several hitless complete games in that span. I finally realized that Ferrell started 13 games as an OF in 1933, which would not have counted in Steve's query.

    Also BTW, in 1933, Ferrell hit 7 HRs in 140 AB, all of them hit as a pitcher; on the mound, he tossed 201 innings and allowed 8 HRs. In 1934, he allowed 4 HRs in 181 IP, and hit 4 HRs in 78 AB. In 1931, he allowed 9 HRs in 276 IP, and hit 9 HRs in 116 AB.

    But my favorite Wes Ferrell stat is his combined batting line for 1931-35:
    -- 612 AB, .294 BA, 29 HRs, 123 RBI, 101 Runs, 64 BB, .361 OBP, .493 SLG, 115 OPS+.

17. Larry R. Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 2:29 pm

    @16

    Isn't Wes Ferrell the career HR leader for pitchers with 38? I seem to remember that.

18. Larry R. Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    He was. A victory for my 58-year-old brain! And his middle name was Cheek. I love this site.

19. Kahuna Tuna Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 2:45 pm

    In 1931-35 Wes Ferrell appeared in exactly 100 games in which he did not pitch. I'd have used him as a pinch hitter every chance I got!

    Bob Lemon's 1947-50 batting line is pretty impressive too: 118 H in 419 AB, 69 R, 28 2B, 6 3B, 20 HR, 71 RBI, 37 BB, .282 BA, .341 OBP, .520 SLG, 218 TB, 128 OPS+.

    Lemon's XBH percentage (45.76%) is the highest of any player with 200+ plate appearances during that period, just fractionally ahead of Ralph Kiner (link).

20. Steve Lombardi Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 2:54 pm

    Leatherman - thanks for the updated lists.

21. Leatherman Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    I just realized that my list includes a few players that were not hitters, but were exclusively pinch hitters. A list for another day...

22. Jon Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 3:05 pm

    Ferrell won the Western Carolinas League batting title at the age of 40 in 1948 as an outfielder, hitting .425.

23. Richard Chester Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 3:09 pm

    Clint Hartung is another pitcher whose streak was interrupted by hitless pinch-hit at bats. He also had a couple of games where he was knocked out early and never had an at bat.

24. Richard Chester Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 3:15 pm

    An interesting fact about Wes Ferrell:
    In 1348 PA he was never hit by a pitch

25. Larry R. Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 3:40 pm

    @23

    Hartung was on 3rd when Bobby Thomson hit his epic HR in '51.

26. SocraticGadfly Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 4:30 pm

    Altho Johnson's streak may have been interrupted by PH failures, overall this streak isn't a fluke; he was one of the best-hitting pitchers in history.

27. Zim Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    @21. I was wondering why Bob Boone was on the list.

    CC's 3 year hitting streak is pretty impressive. Is this the "longest" hitting streak in history?

28. Dvd Avins Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 7:32 pm

    Take a look at Jenkins' offense in 1971 compared to the rest of his career. His 102 OPS+ that year is probably the only reason his career OPS+ is over 0. I claim it's steroids 🙂

29. dodgerdave Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 7:43 pm

    Rick Rhoden is the Tiger Woods of celebrity golf tournaments.

30. Albanate Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 9:32 pm

    Off topic a bit, but in 2007 Orlando Hernandez stole a base in two consecutive starts. The announcers of the game said that it was the first time a pitcher had done that in two consecutive starts in a long time, but I don't recall how long they said it had been since.

31. John Autin Says:
    February 1st, 2011 at 10:39 pm

    @30, Albanate -- The last SB streak by a pitcher was in 1995 by Kevin Foster of the Cubs. That streak gets a bit of an asterisk: In between the 2 games in which he stole a base, Foster made a start in which he lasted less than 3 IP; he did come to the plate once, but laid down a sac bunt. According to MLB rules for batting streaks, a game in which all of a player's PAs resulted in sacrifice hits,does not interrupt the streak.
    http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=fosteke01&t=b&year=1995

    Foster was a decent hitter; he went 15 for 60 in '95, with a HR, triple, double, and 9 RBI. In '96, he went 8-27 with 4 doubles and a triple, slugging .519, and 4 walks for a .406 OBP. Unfortunately, he wasn't much of a pitcher; his main distinction in '95 was leading the majors with 32 HRs allowed, in just 168 IP, a rate of 1.7 HR/9 IP that he matched in each of the next 2 years. His career HR rate of 1.55 HR/9 is the 7th highest in MLB history (min. 500 IP).

    The last pitcher with an asterisk-free SB streak was ... [drumroll] ... the rookie Tom Seaver, in 1967. In the first of those 2 games, Seaver went 3 for 3 with a walk and 2 doubles, but he lost the game on the mound, 4-3, by giving up a walk-off HR to Joe Torre. It was the only 3-hit game of Seaver's career, as he finished with a .154 BA. He did eventually get the hang of the pitching biz, though....
    http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=seaveto01&t=b&year=1967

32. R. C. Berlo Says:
    February 2nd, 2011 at 1:32 am

    Actually, Aaron Harang has Brad Penny beat for poor BB/SO ratio. Penny is 3/167; Harang is 3/195. The difference is that Harang did it in fewer than 500 AB, which I guess makes it even more impressive.

33. Mike Felber Says:
    February 3rd, 2011 at 8:42 pm

    Go my Avatar! Also still the highest season BA.

    76 OPS + during the 3rd most IP ever is remarkable.