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 player in MLB history to hit 20 home runs, steal 20 bases and drive in 100 runs in his rookie season?
ANSWER: CARLOS BELTRAN
Back in 1999, Beltran coasted to AL Rookie of the Year honors, earning 26 of a possible 28 first-place votes following a 22 HR, 27 SB, 108 RBIs debut campaign. Not too shabby of a start for a guy who would end up playing 20 years and ending up with 435 homers when all was said and done.
While not quite on pace to match this feat in terms of his RBI count, Corbin Carroll's 2023 (21 HR, 36 SB, 59 RBIs so far) is certainly appropriate to talk about in the same sentence.
Question 2
Only three pitchers have met the following criteria as a rookie: at least 15 wins, at least 200 strikeouts and an ERA under 3.00 while also taking home Rookie of the Year honors. Give yourself credit if you can name any of the three.
ANSWER: DWIGHT GOODEN, JOHN MONTEFUSCO, HERB SCORE
Baseball didn't start officially honoring its rookies with this trophy until 1947, so Grover Alexander and Christy Mathewson (who both met these statistical thresholds and then some) are not correct answers. Score was the first to do this (1955 for Cleveland) and Gooden (1984 for the Mets) was the last. In-between, "The Count" narrowly edged out Gary Carter for top rookie accolades with his 1975 action for the Giants.
As a frame of reference for this trio's elite performance, the closest 2023 rookie to these lofty goals isn't all that close at all: Kodai Senga currently has 142 K and a 3.24 ERA -- but only eight victories to his name.
Question 3
Since 1983, every rookie hitter who played in at least 100 games, hit at least 20 HR and posted a .300 BA has brought home the hardware by winning the Rookie of the Year award ... that is, save for one. Who is the lone exception to this "give him the trophy" rule?
ANSWER: TODD HELTON
Eight players have had rookie seasons that met our listed criteria, and seven (Corey Seager, Jose Abreu, Mike Trout, Ryan Braun, Albert Pujols, Nomar Garciaparra and Mike Piazza) were rewarded for their efforts by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Unfortunately, Helton's 1998 (.315, 25 HR) only earned him second place in NL voting, just a smidge behind Kerry Wood (13 wins, 233 K).
Could Masataka Yoshida end up joining Helton in the "close, but no cigar" category? Through Tuesday's action, he had played in 100 games, with a .304 batting average and 12 homers, but he'll also have to contend with the likes of Gunnar Henderson and Triston Casas in the voting, as well as the currently injured Josh Jung.