Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch for the 30th time this season during Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds, joining Don Baylor (1986) as the only two players in MLB history to hit 30 home runs and get hit by 30 pitches in the same season, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Rizzo also has exactly 30 home runs, as he has not hit one since Sept. 17 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 30 homers come as no surprise, with the 26-year-old having hit 32 last season and 23 in 2013.
His league-leading hit by pitch total, on the other hand, is rather unexpected, given that Rizzo was hit just 21 times over the previous two seasons.
He’s been hit by 30 pitches in 678 plate appearances this season, compared to 28 times in 1,827 career plate appearances prior to 2015.
Rizzo does get plunked at a far higher rate than the average batter, but even by his standards, 30 times in a single season borders on ridiculous.
Only 23 players have been hit 10 or more times this season, with Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brandon Guyer (21) leading the way in the non-Rizzo division.
Despite the constant plunkings, Rizzo enters Wednesday with 155 games played this season, tying him with five other players for third-most in MLB.
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