It may be hard to believe about nearly a quarter of the Major League Baseball season is in the books. Some teams, like the Braves, have put themselves in excellent position. Others, like the Phillies, Mets and Red Sox, have dug enormous holes and are in varying states of panic. April numbers usually bring May regressions back to the mean but it is still worth taking a snapshot at some of the statistical leaders in both leagues because the days of saying "small sample size" are dwindling.
An interesting situation is shaping up in the American League triple crown categories as not one, but two players appear interested in contending for victory in all three disciplines. Ben Rice, who has broken out for the Yankees, leads with a .343 average and is second to his teammate, Aaron Judge, in home runs. He's also a single RBI back in that department. Astros star Yordan Álvarez is hitting .336, and has the same number of home runs and RBIs.
Believe it or not, it's been 14 years since Detroit's Miguel Cabrera captured the last triple crown in baseball. It's a feat that has been accomplished 27 times in MLB history but only three times since 1957.
Meanwhile in the National League, if it wasn't readily apparent why the Braves have the best record, a quick browse of that leaderboard provides some solid evidence.
Chris Sale leads all of baseball with six wins and Braves batters occupy the top of most leaderboards. Matt Olsen is atop the home run and RBI charts with teammate Drake Baldwin hot on his heels in the latter. Baldwin, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II are top 10 in NL batting average.
American League
Batting average
| Player | Average | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Rice | .343 | Yankees |
| Shea Langeliers | .336 | Athletics |
| Yordan Álvarez | .333 | Astros |
| Vladimir Guerrero | .331 | Blue Jays |
| Josh Young | .325 | Rangers |
| Yandy Díaz | .322 | Rays |
| Kevin McGonigle | .315 | Tigers |
| Jeff McNeil | .314 | Athletics |
| Christian Walker | .308 | Astros |
| Chase DeLauter | .304 | Guardians |
| Brandon Nimmo | .300 | Rangers |
| Chandler Simpson | .299 | Rays |
Hits
Álvarez, Astros, 45; Langeliers, Athletics, 45; Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays, 43; McGonigle, Tigers, 41; Wilson, Athletics, 41; Clement, Blue Jays, 40; Simpson, Rays, 40; Walker, Astros, 40
Home Runs
Judge, Yankees, 14; Murakami, White Sox, 14; Álvarez, Astros, 12; Rice, Yankees, 12; Buxton, Twins, 10; Langeliers, Athletics, 10; Trout, Angels, 10; Caminero, Rays, 9; Henderson, Orioles, 9; Montgomery, White Sox, 9; Okamoto, Blue Jays, 9
RBIs
Aranda, Rays, 28; Murakami, White Sox, 28; Álvarez, Houston, 27; Judge, Yankees, 27; Rice, Yankees, 27; Soler, Angels, 26; Walker, Astros, 26; Dingler, Tigers, 25
Steals
Caballero, Yankees, 13; Ramirez, Guardians; Chisholm Jr, Yankees, 11; Simpson, Rays, 11; Witt Jr., Royals, 11; Arozarena, Mariners, 8; Keaschall, Twins, 7; Neto, Angels, 7
Pitching Wins
Martin, White Sox, 5-1; Schlittler, Yankees, 5-1; Williams, Guardians, 5-1
Strikeouts
Cease, Blue Jays, 56; Soriano, Angels, 54; Schlittler, Yankees, 53; Williams, Guardians, 53; Hancock, Seattle, 46; Warren, Yankees, 46; Gore, Rangers, 45; Skubal, Tigers, 45; Weathers, Yankees, 45
Saves
Baker, Rays, 9; Bednar, Yankees, 9; Erceg, Royals, 9; Domínguez, White Sox, 8; Smith, Guardians, 8; Chapman, Red Sox, 7; Helsley, Orioles, 7; Munoz, Mariners, 7
National League
Batting Average
| Player | Average | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Ildemaro Vargas | .382 | Diamondbacks |
| Otto López | .338 | Marlins |
| Xavier Edwards | .333 | Marlins |
| Ozzie Albies | .331 | Braves |
| Nick Gonzales | .328 | Pirates |
| Michael Harris II | .318 | Braves |
| Troy Johnston | .318 | Rockies |
| Luis Arráez | .316 | Giants |
| Drake Baldwin | .313 | Braves |
| Andy Pages | .313 | Dodgers |
| Brandon Marsh | .309 | Phillies |
| Jordan Walker | .308 | Cardinals |
Hits
Albies, Braves, 46; Baldwin, Braves, 46; López, Marlins, 46; Edwards, Marlins, 43; Arráez, Giants, 42; Olson, Braves, 42; Hoerner, Cubs, 41; Pages, Dodgers, 40; Walker, Cardinals, 40
Home Runs
Olson, Braves, 12; Moniak, Rockies, 11; Schwarber, Phillies, 11; De La Cruz, Reds, 10; Walker, Cardinals, 10; Wood, Nationals, 10; Baldwin, Braves, 9; Cruz, Pirates, 9; Goodman, Rockies, 9; Muncy, Dodgers, 9; Stewart, Reds, 9
RBIs
Olson, Braves, 32; Baldwin, Braves, 30; Hicks, Marlins, 29; Stewart, Reds, 29; Burleson, Cardinals, 28; Cruz, Pirates, 28; Abrams, Nationals, 27; Hoerner, Cubs, 27; Pages, Dodgers, 27; Walker, Cardinals, 27
Stolen Bases
Nuñez, Nationals, 14; Cruz, Pirates, 11; Marsee, Miami, 10; Tatís Jr., Padres, 9; De La Cruz, Reds, 8; Acuña Jr., Braves, 7; Doyle, Rockies, 7; Griffin, Pirates, 7; Hamilton, Brewers, 7; Hoerner, Cubs, 7; Stewart, Reds, 7; Turang, Brewers, 7
Pitching Wins
Sale, Braves, 6-1
Strikeouts
Misiorowski, Brewers, 59; Luzardo, Phillies, 51; McLean, Mets, 51; Sanchez, Phillies, 50; Sale, Braves, 49; Glasnow, Dodgers, 47; Burns, Reds, 46; Ashcraft, Pirates, 45
Saves
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB Stats Reveal Potential Triple Crown Chase, One Team's Dominance.
