StaTuesday: Record RBI streak by Brewers' Aguilar
If back in April you said Jesus Aguilar should be an All-Star in 2018, people would think you were joking.
But in late June, the Milwaukee Brewers first baseman has proven such an idea is no laughing matter.
Entering Tuesday, Aguilar owns a slash line of .299/.359/.597 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI. He leads the National League in at-bats per home run (12.6), is third in slugging percentage, seventh in RBI and eighth in OPS (.955). So far in June, Aguilar has a .688 slugging percentage and 1.002 OPS.
But where he's really making a mark recently has been with driving in runs.
From June 15-22, Aguilar had multiple-RBI games in five straight starts, beginning with a three RBI game in a 13-2 win against Philadelphia and ending with his dramatic two solo home runs to first end a no-hitter and then a walk-off win over St. Louis.
The streak of five consecutive starts with at least two RBI fell short of the all-time record -- eight set by Walker Cooper in 1947; three others did it in seven straight starts and another 17 had a six-start start streak.
But the five in a row tied a Brewers record, which had previously been done just once. There had been 17 previous streaks of players accomplishing the multi-RBI feat in four consecutive starts (including two players having done it twice).
| PLAYER | G | DATES | RBI |
| Jesus Aguilar | 5 | June 15-22, 2018 | 12 |
| Jeromy Burnitz | 5 | June 23-29, 1999 | 13 |
| Adam Lind | 4 | Aug. 28-Sept. 2, 2015 | 8 |
| Adam Lind | 4 | June 28-July 2, 2015 | 8 |
| Gabe Kapler | 4 | April 4-13, 2008 | 9 |
| David Bell | 4 | Sept. 21-24, 2006 | 9 |
| Henry Blanco | 4 | May 11-16, 2000 | 11 |
| Kevin Barker | 4 | Sept. 11-15, 1999 | 9 |
| Jeromy Burnitz | 4 | Sept. 11-14, 1998 | 9 |
| Darrin Jackson | 4 | Sept. 15-19, 1997 | 10 |
| Dante Bichette | 4 | June 2-10, 1992 | 10 |
| Candy Maldonado | 4 | July 27-Aug. 1, 1991 | 9 |
| Robin Yount | 4 | Sept. 20-23, 1987 | 13 |
| B.J. Surhoff | 4 | Sept. 8-12, 1987 | 8 |
| Robin Yount | 4 | April 30-May 3, 1983 | 10 |
| Sixto Lezcano | 4 | Aug, 27-30, 1979 | 9 |
| Gorman Thomas | 4 | June 17-22, 1979 | 10 |
| Jose Cardenal | 4 | Sept. 6-8, 1971 | 10 |
| Danny Walton | 4 | April 10-12, 1970 | 10 |
While Aguilar's streak ended this past Saturday, June 23 against the Cardinals, he did drive in one run that game, meaning he enters Tuesday's game with an RBI in six straight starts (he did not start in Milwaukee's game Sunday).
Only 25 times in Brewers history has a player had an RBI in seven or more straight starts. The last to do it was Adam Lind, from June 27-July 5, 2015, in eight straight. The Milwaukee record for consecutive starts with at least one RBI is nine, accomplished three times: George Scott in 1975, Cecil Cooper in 1982 and Carlos Lee in 2005.
One final note on Aguilar: He's hit two walk-off home runs in 2018. If he can hit another, it will be the most in any one season by a Brewers player.
There have been 91 walk-off homers in franchise history -- 89 if you eliminate the Seattle Pilots. Ten players, including Aguilar, have hit two in one season. They are: Dave May (1973), Ben Oglivie (1979), Gorman Thomas (1980), Robin Yount (1983 and 1991), Ted Simmons (1983), Greg Vaughn (1991), Jeromy Burnitz (1998), Bill Hall (2006) and Corey Hart (2010).
The way this season has been going for Aguilar, it wouldn't be a shock to see him be alone at the top by the time the year is over.
Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow (a Larry Ritter Book Award nominee), Facing Ted Williams - Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns
