Are you ready to check your work? Here are the answers to this week's trivia questions. We'll be back next week with another trio of quizzical queries for you, so bone up on your research and get ready to get them all next time around!
Question 1
Who is the only active player with at least 50 career June home runs who has also never been caught stealing during this month? Entering play today, he's a perfect 11-for-11 lifetime on the basepaths during the sixth month of the year.
ANSWER: GIANCARLO STANTON
The only two hitters with more than Stanton's 66 homers are Miguel Cabrera (85 HR, 4-for-10 in stolen base attempts) and Nelson Cruz (74, 15-for-18). The only month in which Stanton has hit more homers is August (75).
Question 2
Only three active players with a minimum of 1,000 career June at-bats have a lifetime batting average of over .300 during this month. One of those players is Miguel Cabrera (.315). Name either of the other two.
ANSWER: ANDREW MCCUTCHEN, JOEY VOTTO
McCutchen's career June average is also .315, while Votto checks in with a .306 mark. Mike Trout (.335, 779 AB) is still a few years away from meeting my (admittedly arbitrary) minimum criteria. Other players who could potentially get to 1,000 AB this month are Jose Altuve (.320, 904), Paul Goldschmidt (.309, 962), Manny Machado (.304, 902), Charlie Blackmon (.302, 920) and Freddie Freeman (.302, 978). DJ LeMahieu is just 10 AB shy of the milestone, but he needs to pick up the pace at the plate a bit, as he has only hit .296 during this calendar month.
Question 3
What active pitcher has the most career wins in the month of June with 42?
ANSWER: ZACK GREINKE
And this is not just a longevity thing. Greinke has gone a very impressive 20-3 in the month of June since 2016. That's a far cry from the 1-7 record he compiled over his first two Junes, back in 2004-05. By way of comparison, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander both have just 38 career June wins. Greinke also got the lone save of his career in the month of June, back in 2007 -- a season where he spent several months pitching out of the Royals bullpen after struggling as a starter in April.