Babe Ruth. Barry Bonds. Matt Carpenter. These players have more in common than you think.
Okay, okay — jokes aside, Carpenter is on one of the best stretches you’ll ever see from a baseball player. I started off with a hyperbole, but that last statement is not an example of one. The three-time All-Star who was relegated to Triple-A anonymity early in 2022 simply keeps hitting. After his first 97 plate appearances in pinstripes, Carpenter sits at a 278 wRC+ with 13 home runs. He’s already accumulated 2.2 fWAR in a short span while only playing defense occasionally.