Fish Stripes · Apr 15, 2022
Jacob Stallings’ streak lives on, but should it?
Jacob Stallings won the National League Gold Glove last season, at least in part due to his receiving skills. Dating back to mid-2020 and continuing through Thursday’s Marlins home opener, he has caught 138 consecutive games (1,177 2⁄3 innings) without allowing any passed balls. For context, Jorge Alfaro during his Marlins tenure—208 games and 1,666 1⁄3 innings—totaled 28 passed balls. What a refreshing change.
But watching on Thursday, I felt certain that I had witnessed the end of Stallings’ streak. After going nearly 20,000 pitches without a passed ball, he couldn’t secure an Anthony Bass slider in the top of the seventh inning. It allowed Bryce Harper to move up a base.