Orioles backup catcher Caleb Joseph and I have something in common: we both have yet to drive in a run in a major league game this season. Joseph has appeared in 44 games and taken 132 plate appearances, but there’s a big old goose egg in his RBI column.
If Joseph makes it to season’s end without driving in a run, he’ll become the first hitter to do that, minimum 100 at-bats, per Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com, citing the Elias Sports Bureau.
If the threshold is moved back to 75 plate appearances, the list includes a bunch of pitchers, but only nine total (including Joseph) since 2000. If we exclude pitchers, Kenny Lofton didn’t knock in a run across 79 plate appearances as a rookie with the Astros in 1991.