FanGraphs Weekly Mailbag: August 22, 2026

As you all in all probability know, at the beginning of each season, the FanGraphs workers places collectively our daring predictions for the approaching yr. Every is, to various levels, believable however unlikely, which is what makes it such a enjoyable train. Anyway, getting into the 2025 season, my daring prediction was: Corbin Carroll will turn into the fifth-ever 20/20/20/20 participant — 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 residence runs, and 20 stolen bases in a single season — becoming a member of Frank Schulte in 1911, Willie Mays in 1957, and Curtis Granderson and Jimmy Rollins, who each did it in 2007. Carroll finally fell simply three triples wanting the brink, whereas tallying 32 doubles, 31 homers, and 32 steals.

I made a decision to not run it again this yr, figuring that wouldn’t be as enjoyable, although I’m very a lot nonetheless rooting for it to occur. The 20/20/20/20 Membership is likely one of the most unique baseball has to supply. Pulling it off requires a exact mixture of energy, pace and instincts, and it has to occur on the actual proper second in a participant’s profession. As I wrote in my daring prediction: “A participant must have sufficient pop to hit 20 homers, however not a lot that almost all of his extra-base hits land within the seats. He additionally wants the pace to steal bases and stretch singles into doubles and doubles into triples. His instincts should be sharp, so he can know when to aim the additional base with out operating into outs.”

Final Saturday, once I noticed that Carroll had doubled and tripled in a 10-3 Diamondbacks win over the Braves, I pulled up his participant web page to verify on his progress. He was as much as 26 doubles, 15 triples, 18 homers, and 16 steals. He stole a base the following day, and after going with out an extra-base hit in Arizona’s three-game collection in opposition to the Purple Sox, Carroll entered play Friday at 26 doubles, 15 triples, 18 homers, and 17 steals with 34 video games left to play. This prompted my very own query for this week’s mailbag, which I’ll get to momentarily. We’ll additionally reply your questions on the worst participant to ever hit three residence runs in a recreation, the most important drop-off for a participant within the season after ending second within the MVP voting, and groups lacking the playoffs regardless of main the league in run differential. However first, I’d wish to remind you that this mailbag is unique to FanGraphs Members. Should you aren’t but a Member and want to hold studying, you’ll be able to join a Membership right here. It’s one of the best ways to each expertise the positioning and assist our workers, and it comes with a bunch of different nice advantages. Additionally, when you’d wish to ask a query for an upcoming mailbag, ship me an e mail at mailbag@fangraphs.com.