Grandal and the LAD switch hitting home run numbers

Phil Gurnee ♦ September 22, 2016 ♦ 1 Comment

LAD Switch Hitters with two or more home runs in a game:

• 38 times a switch hitter has hit at least two home runs in a game
• Grandal has now done it four times in only two years
• Reggie Smith did it six times over a three year period 1976 – 1978
• Eddie Murray did it five times  over a two-year period 1989- 1990
• Milton Bradley did it five times over a two-year period 2004 – 2005
• Four players did it one time between the Milton Bradley and Yazmani Grandal eras. Jose Cruz, Bill Mueller, Raffy Furcal, and Orlando Hudson
• Grandal has the most RBI by a LAD switch hitter with 8. And 6. He had five tonight.
• This was only the second time a switch-hitter with at least two home runs also hit a double. The other was John Shelby in 1987.
• Unlikely names on this list are Maury Wills and Derrell Thomas. Wills hit only 20 lifetime home runs in 7588 at-bats. So he hit 10% of his major league home runs in one game. Derrel Thomas hit only 12 home runs over his five LAD seasons.
• Eight times a LAD switch hitter has driven in at least five runs. Grandal has done it three of those eight times.