MLB: Five Hilariously Absurd Stats to Brighten Your Day

Five Hilariously Absurd Stats to Brighten Your Day

Tony Gwynn: man or machine?

If Maddux was the robot of pitchers, then Tony Gwynn is the robot of hitters. “Mr Padre” is one of the best and most consistent contact hitters in the history of baseball.

Gwynn’s career statistics are staggering, even in the context of today’s power-over-contact league. His .338 career average ranks put him at 17th all-time, but first among any player post-World War II. Throughout his 20-year career with the Padres, Gwynn only hit under .300 once, and that was in his 54 game rookie year, where he hit an underwhelming .289.

He accumulated 3,141 career hits, and picked up eight batting titles along the way, with his highest mark being .394 in 1994. While Gwynn was one of the best hitters of all time, he was also one of the hardest to strikeout. He never struck out more than 40 times in a season, and finished with more doubles (543) than strikeouts (434).

When you combine his hitting ability with his ridiculous strikeout numbers, the true absurdity of Tony Gwynn’s greatness is revealed. In 2,441 career games, Gwynn posted 45 four-hit games, and only 34 two-strikeout games. Out of all the ridiculous numbers Gwynn put up during his Hall of Fame career, that statistic is by far the most impressive.

Somehow, Mr. Padre never won an MVP award, and largely remained out of the mainstream due to his loyalty to San Diego’s small market. However, he is beloved and respected inside the baseball community for his unbelievable playing career and humble personality.

Even our favorite pitching robot, Greg Maddux, had this to say about him:

Tony Gwynn sadly passed away in 2014 from salivary gland cancer. However, he has gifted baseball fans with an encyclopedia of mind-boggling statistics to analyze and admire. With the way the league is evolving, it is certain we will never see a hitter quite like Tony Gwynn ever again.