Beat the Streak is back for the 2022 season — and the $5.6 million prize is still up for grabs.
The idea is simple — pick one player (or two) every day who you think will get a hit. The objective — surpass Joe DiMaggio’s record-long 56-game hitting streak — is a bit more challenging.
Let’s take a closer at the action from yesterday and today:
Longest active streak: 29 (RockRaines)
Longest season streak: 39 (clendz82)
Longest streak all-time: 51
Most popular picks (yesterday)
1. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (13.2%)
2. Starling Marte, Mets (12.8%)
3. José Iglesias, Rockies (10.7%)*
4. DJ LeMahieu, Yankees (6.2%)
5. J. D. Martinez, Red Sox (3.3%)
* – Recorded a hit
Most popular picks (this season)
1. Trea Turner, Dodgers (7.1%)
2. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (6.3%)
3. José Iglesias, Rockies (4.4%)
4. Michael Brantley, Astros (4.2%)
5. Manny Machado, Padres (3.7%)
Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (vs. Nationals)
Freeman has gone 0-for-10 over the past two games, but that’s a bit deceiving considering he smoked a ball to straightaway center field on Saturday night against the Phillies that was tracked down just shy of the wall for a routine out. Even with his recent scuffling, Freeman is still hitting .301 and he has a extremely favorable matchup against Nationals starter Joan Adon. The rookie right-hander enters with a 6.38 ERA and he ranks in the bottom-10 percentile in barrel percentage allowed, xSLG, whiff rate and chase rate. In other words, hitters aren’t biting on his stuff out of the zone — and Freeman ranks among the best in terms of both whiff rate and chase rate — and they’re making solid contact when Adon does challenge them. Adon is also allowing a .912 career OPS to left-handed hitters (compared to .743 to righties).
Mookie Betts, Dodgers (vs. Nationals)
Everything mentioned above about the Adon matchup also applies here, except for the note about left-handed hitters. Though Betts hits from the right side, he’s been on an absolute tear of late. He has 11 extra-base hits in…