civ ollilavad wrote:This is before he MADE HISTORY:


The Indians’ catcher has hit safely in 44 consecutive games in a streak that began in late May in the Midwest League and that has continued through a promotion to the high Class A Carolina League.

LONGEST HIT STREAKS, PRO BASEBALL
Streak Player (League), Year
69 Joe Wilhoit (Western), 1919
61 Joe DiMaggio (Pacific Coast), 1933
56 Joe DiMaggio (American), 1941
55 Roman Mejias (Big State), 1954
50 Otto Pahlman (Three-I League), 1922
49 Jack Ness (Pacific Coast), 1915
49 Harry Chozen (Southern Association), 1945
46 Johnny Bates (Southern Association), 1925
45 James McOwen (California), 2009
45 Wee Willie Keeler (American), 1896-1897
44 Francisco Mejia (Midwest/Carolina), 2015
44 Pete Rose (National), 1978
Sources: Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, The Story Of Minor League Baseball, Google Newspaper Archive
Bolded entries are from Major League Baseball

That puts him one game short of James McOwen’s 45-game hit streak in the California League in 2009 for the longest minor league hit streak of the modern era of minor league baseball, which was reclassified in 1963.

Mejia’s streak will also crack the top 10 hit streaks in organized baseball history if he can get a hit tonight at home against Potomac.

Wichita’s Joe Wilhoit (Western League) holds the all-time minor league record with 69 games in 1919. Joe DiMaggio actually holds two of the three longest hit streaks in pro baseball history. In addition to his 56-game MLB record set in 1941, he also has the second-longest minor league streak with a 61-game hit streak in the Pacific Coast League in 1933.

Mejia’s streak is even more impressive in that it has continued this week even after he prepared to switch teams only to find that he was still a Cleveland Indian after Jonathan Lucroy turned down a trade to Cleveland.

Mejia is considered one of the better catching prospects in the minors right now. He ranked 70th on Baseball America’s Midseason Top 100 Prospects list.