Each Thursday during the 2023 MLB season, we will have a trio of baseball trivia questions for you to mull over. It's a break from the norm in our fantasy baseball coverage, and we hope you will take part and enjoy every week.
Not only are the Atlanta Braves running away with the NL East thanks to a .650 winning percentage and a 12.5-game lead, but they're also running away with the 2023 "home run crown." Starting play on Thursday, August 17, the Braves have hit more homers than any other team in the majors, with the second-best team (Dodgers) sitting a full 44 blasts behind them.
Teams don't typically perform this well at the plate, at least not over the long six months of a season. So we decided to take a look at just how rare what we're witnessing from "Snit's Hit Men" truly is. With that in mind and, as always, in the spirit of fun, three questions are before you. Three answers are required.
We're on the honor system here, so please no searching the internet for the answers. You just might be surprised at how much you actually know!
Question 1
Since 1900, there have only been 15 teams to hit at least 250 home runs in a single season -- and all of those instances have come since 1996. Which of those teams (team and year required) was the only one to have a losing record?
Question 2
This year's Braves already have seven players with at least 17 HR for the season. Having eight players with at least 17 has only been achieved 10 times and the record is nine, set in 2017 by the Texas Rangers. Can you name the three members of that 2017 team to finish the season with exactly 17 HR?
Question 3
Amazingly, the Braves enter play Thursday slugging .501 as a team. If they keep this pace, they would become the first team in MLB history (since 1900) to top the .500 mark for a full season. Beyond that, Atlanta is currently just two steals shy of 100 for the season. Only one team since 1947 has slugged at a .480 or higher rate and stolen at least 100 bases for a full season. Name them (team and year required).
Take your time and think about your answers, and when you're ready to see if you're right, click here.