Rangers rookie Ronald Guzmán is dominating the Yankees like no other hitter ever
There’s a long list of hitters who have crushed New York Yankees pitching with regularity during their respective careers. Based on his production so far this season, it looks like Texas Rangers rookie Ronald Guzmán is not only looking to join that list, he’s aiming to top it.
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With his father watching him play a Major League Baseball game for the first time Friday night at Yankee Stadium, Guzmán achieved two home run feats that no other hitter throughout the history of Major League Baseball has against the Yankees.
The slugging first baseman unloaded for three solo home runs in the Rangers 12-7 win, which means he’s now homered in each of his first four career games against New York. According to Elias (via ESPN and Stats Info) no other hitter has ever done that.
Ronald Guzmán is the first player in MLB history to homer in each of his first 4 career games against the Yankees (h/t @EliasSports). pic.twitter.com/1lCqUzLEWM
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 11, 2018
Not Ted Williams. Not David Ortiz. Not Ken Griffey Jr. No one. When you consider the history of Yankees baseball, that achievement is as amazing as it is impressive.
But that wasn’t Guzmán’s only big achievement. He’s also the first rookie ever to hit three homers in a game against the Yankees.
Ronald Guzman is the first rookie in MLB history to hit 3 home runs in a game against the Yankees
— James Smyth (@JamesSmyth621) August 11, 2018
Guzmán started his flurry by going back-to-back with Adrian Beltre in the fourth inning. Two innings later, he connected for his second homer against Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka. He completed the trifecta with another solo homer in the seventh, this time against reliever A.J. Cole.
Guzmán had a chance in the eighth inning to become the 19th player in MLB history to hit four homers in a single game. He struck out against Chad Green.
What other firsts did Ronald Guzmán achieve?
Guzmán became the first Rangers player to hit six home runs in a season against the Yankees. There are still two games left this weekend for him to add on.
There’s also this.
It is the first 3 HR game by a rookie in Rangers history
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) August 11, 2018
Crazy stuff.
Overall, Guzmán has not put up huge numbers in his rookie campaign. He entered Friday night hitting .238/.310/.403 with nine homers and 43 RBI in 86 games.
After Friday’s game, he’s hitting .533/.588/1.733 with six homers and eight RBI in four games against the Yankees. Sure, it’s a very small sample size. But that’s still the very definition of being a Yankees killer.
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