Is it time to put Tyler Fitzgerald in the “GOAT” conversation?
Not quite yet, but the Giants rookie could be well on his way with his latest accomplishment.
Fitzgerald is on an eight-game tear that has been seen once before in MLB history, and of course, it was by Babe Ruth.
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SIGN UP HERE The @SFGiants' Tyler Fitzgerald over his last 8 games:
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 27, 2024
✅1.400+ slugging pct
✅5-game HR streak
✅multi-HR game
✅5+ walks drawn
✅run scored in every game
In MLB history, the only other player to do all 5 over an 8-game span was Babe Ruth from June 9-16, 1921. pic.twitter.com/T5pXI4wtXU
Over his last eight games, Fitzgerald has collected 13 hits, 12 RBI, seven home runs and six walks, all in just 33 plate appearances.
Ruth was fortunate to have a stretch as good as Fitzgerald’s over 103 years ago.
And "the Bambino" probably had his eight-game stretch for the New York Yankees against names that the “MLB: The Show” franchise couldn’t automatically generate, for what it is worth.
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San Francisco’s prized 26-year-old shortstop seems to make history with every game.
Besides sharing a wild, league-wide stat with Ruth, Fitzgerald has been breaking Giants records.
Tyler Fitzgerald has 7 homers in his past 8 games. The last member of the @SFGiants to achieve that? Barry Bonds.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 27, 2024
More on the hot-hitting run for the 26-year-old rookie: https://t.co/F1HBoQsIZb pic.twitter.com/k9kJHFuwXu
Tyler Fitzgerald’s 8-game extra-base hit streak is the 2nd-longest by a Giants rookie since 1900, behind only:
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 27, 2024
1924 Hack Wilson: 9
Wilson’s 9 is tied for longest by any rookie in span, with: 2019 Bo Bichette, 1939 Ted Williams, 1934 Hal Trosky
h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/i7YsrE2dhW
Fitzgerald isn’t hitting .452 over his last nine games by accident.
The rookie’s success is a byproduct of strenuous hard work and dedication leading up to his opportunities.
“In this game, you just try to stay as even-keeled as possible and come in each day and work,” Fitzgerald told the “Giants Postgame Live” crew Friday. “Whenever I put the right preparation in, I feel ready for the game. So, I’m going to continue doing that and see how long this can last.
“It’s just taking each day as a new day. I don’t really think about what happened yesterday, good or bad…With more reps, you’re going to feel more comfortable. I got a lot of work to do, I know that …”
Fitzgerald also mentioned how his recent consistent role at shortstop has helped him focus on the diamond, compared to his days as a utility player.
The 50-55 Giants have struggled heading into a 2024 MLB trade deadline comprised of uncertainty.
But while San Francisco is deciding whether to sell stars such as Blake Snell and Matt Chapman, Fitzgerald has been a breath of fresh air that might be around for a while at this rate.