Step aside, Nap Lajoie, Socks Seybold and Lave Cross — there’s a new trio of sluggers in town.
For the first time since those three each had 16+ hits in the first nine games of the 1901 season, Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have done the same.
Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the @BlueJays are the first trio of MLB teammates to each have 16+ hits over their team's first 9 games since Nap Lajoie, Socks Seybold and Lave Cross did so for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901.
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 9, 2023
The Jays’ trio of sluggers have had a tremendous start to the season and are absolutely mashing balls to start the year with each posting 16 hits through the first nine games of this season.
All three seem to be connecting on nearly everything coming their way and they’ve been a bit part of the Jays success early on in the season. Most notably, Chapman’s year has been exceptional so far. He’s slid up the lineup from the seven spot he’s usually held and has found himself batting cleanup.
The trio that played for the Athletics all had good seasons, but Nap Lajoie (pictured above) really ran away with it dominating the American League. He won the batting Triple Crown that season posting a .426 BA while hitting 14 home runs and driving in 125 runs. His 232 hits and his BA led all major leagues.
Now, it’s not to say that any of the three are about to have Triple Crown bating season, but it would be incredible to see any of these three near the top of the AL hitting ranks this year.
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