The Major League Baseball season is just one week old, but it’s never too early to start talking about stats.
And while the Boston Red Sox have not gotten out to the best of starts this year, reigning American League MVP Mookie Betts already is tracking toward some insane numbers in 2019.
After batting second in the first couple of games to open the season, Betts moved back into the leadoff role, and as pointed out by MLB.com’s Will Leitch, Betts is on pace to rack up a crazy amount of plate appearances — 764 to be exact.
Leitch ranked 10 crazy stats that players are tracking toward so far this season, and gave each stat a grade of sustainability — 10 being the most sustainable, 1 being the least.
Here’s what he had to say on Betts.
“The Red Sox have had a sluggish start, but if you’re looking for a way out of it, having one of the best hitters in baseball make the most plate appearances in baseball is an excellent place to start.
Sustainability: 8. If Betts doesn’t get hurt, the Red Sox will get him to the plate as often as humanly possible. The 764 number would be good for sixth all-time; the record is held by Jimmy Rollins (778) in 2007.”
Staying healthy for the duration of the season is one thing, but it’s safe to say Betts will get a day off here and there throughout the 162-game season. Betts never has played in more than 158 games, and in that season (2016) he went to the plate 730 times.
