152 medium MLB trivia questions. Not too easy, not impossible.
Who holds the record for career pitching wins?
Cy Young (1911)
He won 511 games. The pitching award is named after him.
Who was the first pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts?
Walter Johnson (1923)
He did it in 1923 and finished with 3,508.
Babe Ruth finished his playing career with which team?
Boston Braves (1935)
He played 28 games for the Braves in 1935.
Who threw back-to-back no-hitters in 1938?
Johnny Vander Meer (1938)
He pitched for Cincinnati.
Whose number was the first retired in MLB history?
Lou Gehrig's 4 (1939)
The Yankees retired it in 1939.
Who broke the American League color barrier in 1947?
Larry Doby (1947)
Doby debuted for Cleveland 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson.
Who hit the Shot Heard Round the World?
Bobby Thomson (1951)
Thomson's homer off Ralph Branca won the pennant for the Giants over Brooklyn.
Bill Veeck sent 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel to bat for which team?
St. Louis Browns (1951)
Gaedel walked on four pitches.
Who shouted The Giants win the pennant!?
Russ Hodges (1951)
A fan's home recording is the reason we still have it.
Willie Mays' famous over-the-shoulder catch robbed which hitter?
Vic Wertz (1954)
It came in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series against Cleveland.
Willie Mays' famous 1954 catch happened in which ballpark?
Polo Grounds (1954)
The deep center field made the catch possible.
Who threw the only perfect game in World Series history?
Don Larsen (1956)
Larsen did it for the Yankees against Brooklyn. Halladay's 2010 gem was a no-hitter in the NLDS.
Who won the AL Triple Crown in 1956?
Mickey Mantle (1956)
He hit .353 with 52 homers and 130 RBIs.
The Dodgers' name comes from Brooklyn residents dodging what?
Trolleys (1958)
They were first called the Trolley Dodgers.
Who hit the only Game 7 walk-off homer to end a World Series, in 1960?
Bill Mazeroski (1960)
Pittsburgh beat the Yankees 10-9.
Who am I? Hit .406 in 1941, flew combat missions in Korea, homered in my final at-bat.
Ted Williams (1960)
He missed nearly five seasons to military service.
The Minnesota Twins began in 1961 after moving from which city?
Washington (1961)
They were the original Washington Senators.
The Mets' name is short for what?
Metropolitans (1962)
There was an earlier New York Metropolitans team in the 1880s.
How many no-hitters did Sandy Koufax throw?
4 (1965)
The fourth was a perfect game against the Cubs in 1965.
The Astrodome, the first domed stadium, opened in which city?
Houston (1965)
Grass died under its roof, which led to the invention of AstroTurf.
What was Bob Gibson's ERA in 1968?
1.12 (1968)
MLB lowered the pitching mound the following year.
The Miracle Mets won the 1969 World Series against which team?
Baltimore Orioles (1969)
The Mets had never had a winning season before 1969.
Shea Stadium was home to the Mets and which NFL team?
New York Jets (1969)
The Jets played there from 1964 to 1983.
The Seattle Pilots moved after one season to become which team?
Milwaukee Brewers (1970)
The 1969 Pilots were made famous by Jim Bouton's book Ball Four.
Dave Winfield was drafted by teams in how many different pro leagues?
4 (1973)
The Padres, the NBA's Hawks, the ABA's Utah Stars and the NFL's Vikings all picked him.
Dave Winfield was born in which city?
St. Paul (1973)
He starred in baseball and basketball at the University of Minnesota.
Ten Cent Beer Night in 1974 ended in a forfeit for which home team?
Cleveland Indians (1974)
The visiting Rangers were awarded the win.
Who am I? I started with the Milwaukee Braves. I hit number 715 in Atlanta in 1974. I finished my career with the Brewers.
Hank Aaron (1974)
He finished with 755 homers and 2,297 RBIs.
How many career home runs did Harmon Killebrew hit?
573 (1975)
Killebrew led the AL in homers six times for the Senators and Twins.
Carlton Fisk waved his Game 6 homer fair in 1975 against which team?
Cincinnati Reds (1975)
The Reds won Game 7.
What number did Harmon Killebrew wear?
3 (1975)
It was the first number the Twins retired.
The Big Red Machine played for which team?
Cincinnati Reds (1975)
Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan starred.
Which Tigers pitcher, nicknamed The Bird, talked to the baseball?
Mark Fidrych (1976)
He started the 1976 All-Star Game as a rookie.
Rod Carew won the 1977 AL MVP hitting what?
.388 (1977)
Carew won seven batting titles with the Twins.
Disco Demolition Night in 1979 happened at which team's ballpark?
Chicago White Sox (1979)
The White Sox had to forfeit the second game of the doubleheader.
The Phillies won their first World Series in which year?
1980 (1980)
Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson for the final out.
The Vet was home to the Eagles and which other team?
Philadelphia Phillies (1980)
Veterans Stadium opened in 1971.
Which Dodgers rookie won both Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young in 1981?
Fernando Valenzuela (1981)
His run was called Fernandomania.
How many bases did Rickey Henderson steal in 1982, the single-season record?
130 (1982)
Lou Brock held the previous record of 118.
Which umpire made the famous blown call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series?
Don Denkinger (1985)
The Royals rallied and won Game 7 against St. Louis.
What was Dwight Gooden's ERA in 1985?
1.53 (1985)
He went 24-4 with 268 strikeouts at age 20.
Who was the first pitcher to reach 4,000 strikeouts?
Nolan Ryan (1985)
He reached 4,000 in 1985.
Who was MVP of the Twins' 1987 World Series win?
Frank Viola (1987)
Minnesota beat St. Louis, winning all four games at the Metrodome.
Paul Molitor had a 39-game hitting streak in 1987 for which team?
Milwaukee Brewers (1987)
It is the longest since Pete Rose's 44.
Kirk Gibson's limping World Series homer came off which pitcher?
Dennis Eckersley (1988)
It was Gibson's only at-bat of the series.
How many straight scoreless innings did Orel Hershiser throw in 1988?
59 (1988)
He broke Don Drysdale's record of 58.
Who was the first player with 40 homers and 40 steals in a season?
Jose Canseco (1988)
Canseco did it for Oakland in 1988.
I don't believe what I just saw! was whose call of Kirk Gibson's homer?
Jack Buck (1988)
Vin Scully called it on Dodgers radio.
The 1989 Bay Bridge World Series was interrupted by what?
An earthquake (1989)
Oakland swept San Francisco after a 10-day delay.
The Bash Brothers were Jose Canseco and who?
Mark McGwire (1989)
They powered three straight A's pennants.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. hit back-to-back homers in 1990 for which team?
Seattle Mariners (1990)
They are the only father and son to play as teammates in MLB.
Cecil Fielder hit 51 homers in 1990 after a season in which country?
Japan (1990)
He returned from the Hanshin Tigers to the Detroit Tigers.
How many no-hitters did Nolan Ryan throw?
7 (1991)
His last came at age 44 in 1991.
Derek Jeter was drafted with which pick in 1992?
6th (1992)
Five teams passed, including Houston, which took Phil Nevin first.
Nolan Ryan pitched for the Mets, Angels, Astros and Rangers. Which team did he NOT pitch for?
Los Angeles Dodgers (1993)
Ryan pitched 27 seasons and won a title with the 1969 Mets.
Joe Carter's World Series walk-off homer came against which team?
Philadelphia Phillies (1993)
It came off Mitch Williams and gave Toronto back-to-back titles.
Jim Abbott, born without a right hand, threw a 1993 no-hitter for which team?
New York Yankees (1993)
He beat Cleveland at Yankee Stadium.
Which team drafted Alex Rodriguez first overall in 1993?
Seattle Mariners (1993)
He debuted in Seattle at 18.
Barry Bonds' father was which MLB star?
Bobby Bonds (1993)
Willie Mays is his godfather.
Tony Gwynn was hitting what when the 1994 strike ended the season?
.394 (1994)
He won eight batting titles with San Diego.
Which team had the best record in baseball when the 1994 strike hit?
Montreal Expos (1994)
The Expos were 74-40, and many fans believe the strike doomed the franchise.
Cal Ripken Jr. broke whose consecutive games record in 1995?
Lou Gehrig (1995)
Ripken's streak finally ended at 2,632 games in 1998.
Who won four straight Cy Young Awards from 1992 to 1995?
Greg Maddux (1995)
Maddux won the first with the Cubs and the next three with Atlanta.
Edgar Martinez's series-winning The Double in 1995 came against which team?
New York Yankees (1995)
It is credited with saving baseball in Seattle.
The Florida Marlins won the 1997 World Series in which season of existence?
Fifth (1997)
They won again in 2003.
Who was the first Canadian to win MVP, in 1997?
Larry Walker (1997)
Walker hit .366 with 49 homers for Colorado.
How many home runs did Sammy Sosa hit in 1998?
66 (1998)
Mark McGwire won the race with 70.
Which team switched from the American League to the National League in 1998?
Milwaukee Brewers (1998)
Houston moved the other direction in 2013.
Houston's Killer B's were Craig Biggio and who?
Jeff Bagwell (1998)
Berkman and others joined the B's later.
Who won the 1999 NL MVP?
Chipper Jones (1999)
He hit 45 homers for Atlanta.
Which pitcher posted a 1.74 ERA in the hitter-friendly 2000 season?
Pedro Martinez (2000)
The AL average ERA that year was 4.91.
How many World Series titles did Joe Torre win with the Yankees?
4 (2000)
He won in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Alex Rodriguez's 2000 deal with Texas was worth how much?
$252 million (2000)
It doubled the previous record for a sports contract.
Randy Johnson shared 2001 World Series MVP with which teammate?
Curt Schilling (2001)
Arizona beat the Yankees in seven games.
Luis Gonzalez's series-winning bloop single in 2001 came off which pitcher?
Mariano Rivera (2001)
It won Game 7 for the Diamondbacks.
The 2001 Seattle Mariners tied the record for regular season wins with how many?
116 (2001)
They lost to the Yankees in the ALCS.
The Twins took Joe Mauer first overall in 2001 instead of which college pitcher?
Mark Prior (2001)
Prior went second to the Cubs.
Which of these teams has never won the World Series?
Seattle Mariners (2001)
Seattle has never even reached a World Series.
Joe Mauer turned down a football scholarship from which school?
Florida State (2001)
He was recruited as a quarterback.
The 2002 Moneyball Oakland A's won how many games in a row?
20 (2002)
Scott Hatteberg's walk-off homer won number 20.
The Steve Bartman incident happened in the 2003 NLCS against which team?
Florida Marlins (2003)
Florida scored eight runs that inning and went on to win the World Series.
Ichiro's 262 hits in 2004 broke whose single-season record?
George Sisler (2004)
Sisler had 257 hits in 1920.
Whose stolen base in Game 4 sparked Boston's 2004 ALCS comeback?
Dave Roberts (2004)
Boston became the first team to win a series after trailing 0-3.
Who drew a record 232 walks in 2004?
Barry Bonds (2004)
120 of them were intentional.
The Montreal Expos moved in 2005 to become which team?
Washington Nationals (2005)
The Nationals won the 2019 World Series.
The 2005 White Sox title was their first since when?
1917 (2005)
Chicago swept the Houston Astros.
How many Cy Young Awards did Johan Santana win with the Twins?
2 (2006)
He won in 2004 and 2006.
Which Twin won the 2006 AL MVP?
Justin Morneau (2006)
Mauer won the batting title that same year.
The 2007 Rockies won 21 of 22 games before being swept in the World Series by whom?
Boston Red Sox (2007)
The run is remembered as Rocktober.
Where did David Price play college baseball?
Vanderbilt (2007)
He went first overall to Tampa Bay.
The 2008 Phillies beat which team in the World Series?
Tampa Bay Rays (2008)
Tampa had just dropped Devil from its name.
MLB first allowed instant replay in which year, for home run calls?
2008 (2008)
Full manager challenges came in 2014.
Where did Buster Posey play college baseball?
Florida State (2008)
He started as a shortstop.
Mike Trout was drafted with which pick in 2009?
25th (2009)
Twenty-four teams passed on a future three-time AL MVP.
Who won the 2009 AL Cy Young for Kansas City?
Zack Greinke (2009)
He posted a 2.16 ERA.
Who won World Series titles with the 2004 Red Sox and the 2009 Yankees?
Johnny Damon (2009)
He was booed hard in his return to Fenway.
Who am I? St. Paul native, Twins catcher, three batting titles and the 2009 AL MVP.
Joe Mauer (2009)
He was the first overall pick in 2001.
Stephen Strasburg pitched in college for which school, coached by Tony Gwynn?
San Diego State (2009)
He went first overall in 2009.
Ken Griffey Jr. played for the Mariners, Reds and White Sox. Which team did he NOT play for?
Atlanta Braves (2010)
Griffey was a 13-time All-Star and hit 630 home runs.
Which umpire's call cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game in 2010?
Jim Joyce (2010)
Joyce tearfully apologized after seeing the replay.
Which of these never played for the Yankees?
Pedro Martinez (2010)
Pedro beat the Yankees in many famous Red Sox battles.
Who did the Giants beat in the 2010 World Series?
Texas Rangers (2010)
It was their first title since moving to San Francisco.
Roy Halladay threw a playoff no-hitter in 2010 against which team?
Cincinnati Reds (2010)
He had also thrown a perfect game earlier that year.
Stephen Strasburg struck out how many batters in his 2010 debut?
14 (2010)
He walked none against Pittsburgh.
Bryce Harper played one season at which junior college before going first overall?
College of Southern Nevada (2010)
He left high school early to get there.
Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit was what kind of hit?
A home run (2011)
He went 5 for 5 that day off David Price and the Rays.
Which team has the second most World Series titles?
St. Louis Cardinals (2011)
The Cardinals have 11.
David Freese's Game 6 heroics in 2011 came against which team?
Texas Rangers (2011)
Texas was one strike from the title twice. Freese tied it with a triple and won it with a homer.
Who won the 2011 NL MVP?
Ryan Braun (2011)
Braun played for Milwaukee.
Tony La Russa won World Series titles with the Cardinals and which team?
Oakland Athletics (2011)
He won in 1989 with Oakland and in 2006 and 2011 with St. Louis.
The Mets pay which former player about $1.19 million every July 1 until 2035?
Bobby Bonilla (2011)
Fans now call July 1 Bobby Bonilla Day.
Whose walk-off homer on the final night of 2011 completed Tampa Bay's comeback for a playoff spot?
Evan Longoria (2011)
Boston collapsed in Baltimore minutes earlier.
Jim Thome hit his 600th home run in 2011 for which team?
Minnesota Twins (2011)
He hit 600 and 599 in the same game in Detroit.
Who won both AL MVP and the Cy Young in 2011?
Justin Verlander (2011)
No AL starter had won MVP since 1986.
Byron Buxton went second in 2012, right behind which player?
Carlos Correa (2012)
Houston took Correa first out of Puerto Rico.
Miguel Cabrera's 2012 Triple Crown was the first since whose in 1967?
Carl Yastrzemski (2012)
It had been 45 years.
Mike Trout is from which New Jersey town?
Millville (2012)
He's a well-known Philadelphia Eagles fan.
Who hit three homers in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series and won series MVP?
Pablo Sandoval (2012)
Two of them came off Justin Verlander. San Francisco swept Detroit.
How many perfect games were thrown in 2012?
3 (2012)
Philip Humber, Matt Cain and Felix Hernandez.
Who won NL Rookie of the Year in 2012, the same year Mike Trout won it in the AL?
Bryce Harper (2012)
Harper was 19.
How many career saves did Mariano Rivera record?
652 (2013)
Trevor Hoffman is second with 601.
Who was the last MLB player to wear 42 regularly?
Mariano Rivera (2013)
Players who had it before the 1997 retirement were allowed to keep it.
Who was MVP of Boston's 2013 World Series win?
David Ortiz (2013)
He hit .688 in the series.
Where did Kris Bryant play college baseball?
San Diego (2013)
He hit 31 homers as a junior.
Where did Aaron Judge play college baseball?
Fresno State (2013)
He'd also been recruited to play football.
How many Cy Young Awards did Clayton Kershaw win?
3 (2014)
He won in 2011, 2013 and 2014 and was also 2014 NL MVP.
Who was MVP of the 2014 World Series, including five scoreless innings of relief in Game 7?
Madison Bumgarner (2014)
San Francisco won its third title in five years.
Mike Trout won his first AL MVP in which year?
2014 (2014)
He finished second in 2012 and 2013.
Where did Kyle Schwarber play college baseball?
Indiana (2014)
He led Indiana to the College World Series.
The Royals won the 2015 World Series against which team?
New York Mets (2015)
It was Kansas City's first title since 1985.
Where did Andrew Benintendi play college baseball?
Arkansas (2015)
He won the Golden Spikes Award.
Where did Alex Bregman play college baseball?
LSU (2015)
He went second overall to Houston.
The Cubs' 2016 title ended a championship drought of how many years?
108 (2016)
Their previous title came in 1908.
Who was MVP of the 2016 World Series?
Ben Zobrist (2016)
Zobrist's 10th-inning double drove in the winning run in Game 7.
Ichiro reached 3,000 MLB hits in 2016 with which team?
Miami Marlins (2016)
It was a triple at Coors Field.
Max Scherzer struck out 20 in a 2016 game for which team?
Washington Nationals (2016)
He'd thrown two no-hitters the year before.
Where did Pete Alonso play college baseball?
Florida (2016)
He set the rookie homer record with 53.
Who won the 2017 AL MVP?
Jose Altuve (2017)
Houston won the World Series that year.
Who hit 59 homers in 2017 and won NL MVP?
Giancarlo Stanton (2017)
He was traded to the Yankees that winter.
Season snapshot: 108 wins, Mookie Betts MVP, beat the Dodgers in the World Series. Which team?
2018 Boston Red Sox (2018)
It was Boston's fourth title in 15 years.
Who won the 2018 NL MVP after a huge second half for Milwaukee?
Christian Yelich (2018)
He had been traded from Miami that winter.
Ichiro Suzuki played for the Mariners, Yankees and Marlins. Which team did he NOT play for?
Boston Red Sox (2019)
Ichiro finished where he started, in Seattle, in 2019.
Season snapshot: started 19-31, then won the World Series. Which team?
2019 Washington Nationals (2019)
They won all four World Series games in Houston.
Bryce Harper signed a 13-year deal with Philadelphia in 2019 worth how much?
$330 million (2019)
It has no opt-outs, so it runs through 2031.
Who broke Aaron Judge's rookie home run record in 2019?
Pete Alonso (2019)
Alonso hit 53 for the Mets.
Where did Adley Rutschman play college baseball?
Oregon State (2019)
He also played football as a kicker.
Which team returned to brown and gold full-time in 2020?
San Diego Padres (2020)
The Padres had worn brown in the 1970s and 80s.
Where did Spencer Torkelson play college baseball?
Arizona State (2020)
He went first overall to Detroit.
In which year did the designated hitter become universal in MLB?
2022 (2022)
The AL had used the DH since 1973.
Paul Skenes transferred from Air Force to which school?
LSU (2023)
He won the 2023 College World Series.