Maris and Mantle. 115 home runs in 1961.

[The stache]

It's well known by baseball fans that, in 1961, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle set a single season record for home runs by a duo. Maris hit 61, breaking the Babe's record of 60 home runs set in 1927, and Mickey Mantle hit 54 home runs before injuries finally caught up to him.

 

115 home runs in 162 games.

 

Fast forward to 2019. The Brewers duo of Christian Yelich and Mike Moustakas are both locked in at the plate, and hitting home runs at a frantic pace. Tonight is Milwaukee's 68th game. Mike Moustakas just hit a 2-run home run in the top of the 14th, his 21st on the year, and 8th in the last 11 games. Christian Yelich hit his Major League-leading 25th last night, his 4th in the last 10 games.

 

46 home runs in 68 games. That's a pace of 110 home runs.

 

There's a lot of baseball to be played yet. But, could Yelich and Moustakas come close to this hallowed record by year's end?

[DuWayne Steurer]

My gut says no. I'd be impressed if as a duo they hit 100.

[Oxy]

My brain says no, but my brain is wrong a lot.

[The stache]

My gut says no. I'd be impressed if as a duo they hit 100.

 

I'd tend to agree with you, though it sure is fun to even consider those two hitting that many into the seats.

 

I think Yelich has shown that he's not just a half year wonder. He was fantastic last year. He's playing at a whole other level this year. Moustakas? He's always been kind of streaky. Right now, he's knocking the bejeesus out of the ball.

 

But there's one other guy in this lineup that makes me think there's a chance, and that's Yasmani Grandal. With him batting right behind Moustakas, they can't pitch around Moose, because Grandal's just locked in, as well. As long as he's healthy, and productive, Grandal is a hell of a threat.

 

There's a very real part of me that is just giddy inside thinking of what this lineup will be capable of when we get Hiura back. Braun's probably going to hit around 25 homers. If Thames can just stay somewhat consistent at the plate, he's good for 20. Grandal will come close to 30. Moustakas and Yelich 40 each easily, if not more. Hiura's power is real. I expected him to be a perennial .300 hitter. I am somewhat surprised by just how many long balls he's hit in a short time. And, it's not beyond reasonable to think that Arcia could hit 20.

 

If Cain gets it going again, and Shaw can bounce back (please, dear God), this lineup is going to score runs by the truck load in the second half.

[The stache]

Take this one step further. I'll have to do some checking, but I can't imagine another trio topping the '61 Yankees.

 

61 Maris

54 Mantle

28 Bill Skowron

143

 

25 Yelich

21 Moustakas

15 Grandal

61 in 68 games

That's a pace of 145 home runs.

 

I don't think this will keep up, but again, it's fun to think about.

[MrTPlush]

No...just no way. I would expect the actual number in the 90-95 range.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I just think it'd be cool if they both hit 50. I think Yelich will get there but Moose probably has a cold streak in him that would make him tougher. Realistically they'll probably combine for 89 or something.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

What we're seeing from Moose is exactly why they have been interested in him for quite a while. We actually first heard scuttlebutt about him when he was a free agent during spring training in 2018. Everyone laughed off the idea at the time because we had Shaw, but Moose has shown that he is quite passable at 2B. Now imagine if the Brewers had signed Moose in March 2018. I'm thinking we never deal with the poo-poo platter of 2B play we dealt with in 2018, and probably never make the Schoop deal. Of course, there's probably a good chance that Moose would have had a better statistical year last year, and may have had more interest on the free agent market this past offseason, so he may not have even been a Brewer this year. But if he were on this team the whole season last year, I'm betting there is no game 163. and the team would have probably approached 100 wins. Moose's power and hitting profile is a perfect fit for Miller Park.

[Eye Black]

I believe this leaderboard is current/correct for combined home runs by a set of teammates...

 

http://www.sportsonearth.com/assets/images/7/9/6/263326796/cuts/588x127/cut.png

[Underachiever]

Take this one step further. I'll have to do some checking, but I can't imagine another trio topping the '61 Yankees.

 

61 Maris

54 Mantle

28 Bill Skowron

143

 

25 Yelich

21 Moustakas

15 Grandal

61 in 68 games

That's a pace of 145 home runs.

 

I don't think this will keep up, but again, it's fun to think about.

And Skowron's nickname was Moose. I just blew your mind, didn't I? Hang on, I have more connections to think up. Yas-Mantle Grandal? Nah, sucks. I'll get back to you.

[Eye Black]

I didn’t realize there hasn’t been an occurrence of teammates each hitting 40+ home runs since 1998. Below is the list of times teammates have each surpassed 40 home runs in the same season.

 

1927 YANKEES - Babe Ruth (60), Lou Gehrig (47)

 

1930 YANKEES - Babe Ruth (49), Lou Gehrig (41)

 

1931 YANKEES - Babe Ruth (46), Lou Gehrig (46)

 

1953 DODGERS - Duke Snider (42), Roy Campanella (41)

 

1954 DODGERS - Gil Hodges (42), Duke Snider (40)

 

1955 REDS - Ted Kluszewski (47), Wally Post (40)

 

1961 TIGERS - Rocky Colavito (45), Norm Cash (41)

 

1961 YANKEES - Roger Maris (61), Mickey Mantle (54)

 

1961 GIANTS - Orlando Cepeda (46), Willie Mays (40)

 

1969 RED SOX - Rico Petrocelli (40), Carl Yastrzemski (40)

 

1970 REDS - Johnny Bench (45), Tony Perez (40)

 

1973 BRAVES - Davey Johnson (43), Darrell Evans (41), Hank Aaron (40)

 

1996 ROCKIES - Andres Galarraga (47), Vinny Castilla (40), Ellis Burks (40)

 

1996 MARINERS - Ken Griffey Jr. (49), Jay Buhner (44)

 

1997 ROCKIES - Larry Walker (49), Andres Galarraga (41), Vinny Castilla (40)

 

1997 MARINERS - Ken Griffey Jr. (56), Jay Buhner (40)

 

1998 MARINERS - Ken Griffey Jr. (56), Alex Rodriguez (42)

[homer]

Current pace:

 

Grandal 35 HRs

Moose 50

Yelich 59

[tmwiese55]

Rich Aurilia hitting 37 bombs, what an era.

[Oxy]

It shocks me that Aaron and Eddie Mathews never hit 40 in the same year.

[Eye Black]

It shocks me that Aaron and Eddie Mathews never hit 40 in the same year.

The closest they came was in 1959 when Mathews hit 46 and Aaron hit 39, and 1960 when Aaron hit 40 and Mathews hit 39.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

List is missing Manny and Big Papi who did it in 2004 and 2005. When I saw the list I knew they'd have to be on it so went back and looked. I also thought A-Rod and Teixeira would be, but the latter never actually hit 40.

[topper09er]

Shan Green (42) and Carlos Delgado (44) did it for the 2000 Blue Jays

Bagwell (47) and Richard Hidalgo (44) did it for the 2000 Astros

Palmeiro (47) and ARod (52) hit 40+ for the 2001 Rangers, and again for the 2002 Rangers - Palmeiro (43) ARod (57).

Pujols (46) and Edmonds (42) did it for the 2004 Cards.

Manny (43) and Ortiz (41) did it for the 2004 Red Sox

Ortiz (47) and Manny (45) did it for the 2005 Red Sox

Jermaine Dye (44) and Jim Thome (42) did it for the 2006 ChiSox

Pujols (40) and Trout (41) did it for the Angels in 2015

 

Probably a bunch more especially around the 2000 time frame

[Baldkin]

List is missing Manny and Big Papi who did it in 2004 and 2005. When I saw the list I knew they'd have to be on it so went back and looked. I also thought A-Rod and Teixeira would be, but the latter never actually hit 40.

 

That list was probably made in 1999. It also doesn't include Arenado and CarGo who just did it in 2015.

 

Now, before them it hadn't happened since 2006, when those two kids from the southside did it (Dye & Thome).

 

Edit: To add a few others: Pujols and Trout as well as Bautista and Donaldson all did it in 2015.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

That list was made in 1999, but I think I found the article it was pulled from and that was from 2017, so, made by a very lazy writer in 2017.

[StearnsFTW]

Fun to think about, but I'd guess the number ends up around 85-90. Moustakas is streaky. I could see him around 40. And Yelich around 45.

 

Plus there'll likely be minor injuries costing games.

 

Still incredibly impressive thus far.

[Eye Black]

That list was made in 1999, but I think I found the article it was pulled from and that was from 2017, so, made by a very lazy writer in 2017.

Great catch. Yes, that was the article I regretfully trusted.

[BuckyBrewer61]

Maris hit 61, breaking the Babe's record of 60 home runs set in 1927

 

Of course it is factually correct, and the issue has been well-documented, but it's always disappointing to me that Maris is credited as breaking Babe's record when he got 8 extra games (which he needed) to do so.

 

Babe hit 60 home runs in 154 games.

Maris hit 58 home runs in 154 games. He then played 8 more games and hit 3 more home runs.

 

For what it's worth, Babe did play 4 more games that year - in the World Series - and hit 2 more home runs.

 

Babe has still hit more home runs in the first 154 games of a season than any non-steroid user in baseball history, and he did so 92 years ago. That is ridiculous.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Is it really though. I'm sure we can find some record that still stands from Johnny Sweet Shot in the NBA's first season. I just don't care for cross-generation comparisons. I don't need to go beyond an eye test to know Babe Ruth wouldn't be in majors today. And that's fine and I don't say it to discredit him. I still count the Packers 20s championships, but I just don't equate them with what the Patriots are doing. It's just totally incomparable. It's a feat of greatness in the 20s, but I don't find it more impressive because it still stands today.

[homer]

Is it really though. I'm sure we can find some record that still stands from Johnny Sweet Shot in the NBA's first season. I just don't care for cross-generation comparisons. I don't need to go beyond an eye test to know Babe Ruth wouldn't be in majors today. And that's fine and I don't say it to discredit him. I still count the Packers 20s championships, but I just don't equate them with what the Patriots are doing. It's just totally incomparable. It's a feat of greatness in the 20s, but I don't find it more impressive because it still stands today.

 

You have to equate it to what was happening at the time. Entire teams weren't hitting as many home runs as Babe Ruth.

[MrTPlush]

Is it really though. I'm sure we can find some record that still stands from Johnny Sweet Shot in the NBA's first season. I just don't care for cross-generation comparisons. I don't need to go beyond an eye test to know Babe Ruth wouldn't be in majors today. And that's fine and I don't say it to discredit him. I still count the Packers 20s championships, but I just don't equate them with what the Patriots are doing. It's just totally incomparable. It's a feat of greatness in the 20s, but I don't find it more impressive because it still stands today.

 

You have to equate it to what was happening at the time. Entire teams weren't hitting as many home runs as Babe Ruth.

 

Okay, but would he really be that good today? I don't think anyone really does know the answer to that. Maybe Ruth put in 100% effort to be that good while more athletic and better guys didn't care as much and thus didn't do as well. You gotta remember back then these guys weren't getting paid a ton and soooo much talent was not playing baseball. Now the effort and talent pool is insane. It really is the best of the best.

 

Maybe he would still be good if born in today's time period and got what current athletes do. I like to think he would still be a good ballplayer under those conditions...but who really knows.

 

Regardless what he did compared to his peers is just insane.