Inspired by the Baseball Quick Quiz in Baseball Digests of yesteryear, this quiz will test your MLB knowledge. Answers can be found below the second picture, so don’t scroll down until you’re ready to check. Test yourself and then leave your score in the comments below. Questions are worth 10 points unless noted otherwise. It’s out of 100, and according to Baseball Digest, “If you score 80 or better, you earn an expert’s rating; 70 or better, superior; between 60 and 70, good; and between 40 and 60, average.”
1. As of March 31, 2023, has Shohei Ohtani struck out more as a batter or has he pitched more strikeouts?
2. Marcus Semien has been a pillar of durability in recent years, never playing less than 161 games in the past four 162-game seasons. Of those four seasons, in how many did he led the league in hits?
3. The San Francisco Giants added a new hitting coach in 2024, a former player in the organization. Who?
4. Two former players own the record for tallest MLB player of all time, both measuring 6’11”. They are Sean Hjelle and who?
5. Who has played more postseason games as a 3B – Alex Bregman or Alex Rodriguez?
6. Which two MLB ballparks have their bullpens within the field of play? (You must name the park, not the team). Five points each.
7. Who was MLB’s last player/manager?
8. Name any of the three teams that have never had a Most Valuable Player.
9. Which of the following New Yorkers is NOT a Mets fan: Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Simon, Kevin James, or Matthew Broderick?
10. Happy Birthday to this Red Sox pitcher (an April Fools baby), who has been used in the past as a reliever but is now in Boston’s starting rotation. (A hint: That narrows it down to 4/5 of the rotation. This guy made more starts in 2023 than any of the other possible answers.)
1. 759 strikeouts as a batter, 608 strikeouts as a pitcher
2. Once, 2024 when he had 185 hits
3. Pat Burrell, who played for the Giants in 2010 and 2011
4. Jon Rauche, who pitched for 11 seasons
5. Alex Bregman with 97, A-Rod logged 58
6. Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay), Oakland Coliseum (Oakland)
7. Pete Rose in 1984
8. Diamondbacks, Mets, Rays
9. Paul Simon
10. Kutter Crawford