With a pair of homers Thursday night in Cincinnati, Nicholas Castellanos built his case as the best trade acquisition of the season and joined a little-known fraternity of prolific small-sample producers. The dingers gave him nine extra-base hits through his first eight games with the Cubs, making him just the third player in the live-ball era to accomplish such a feat.
Nicholas Castellanos now has 9 extra-base hits in his first 8 games with the @Cubs.
The only other players in the live-ball era with 9+ XBH in their first 8 games after a midseason trade:
Wally Berger in 1938 (Reds) and Fred McGriff in 1993 (Braves).