The Hitless Wonders

Mike Moustakas flied out to center in the eighth inning last night to put a cherry on top of his 0-3 performance, the fifth straight hitless performance he has given to begin the year. Moustakas is now hitless through 21 straight plate appearances to start the year, tied for the longest hitless streak to start a year in franchise history by a non-pitcher, originally set by Lynn Jones in 1985.

Other fun facts about Moustakas' hitlessness:

• Mike has been equitable in how he has not gotten a hit. In his 21 plate appearances, 7 times he has hit the ball to the outfield, 7 times to the infield, and 7 times he has not put the ball in play. Two of the balls he has hit have gone the opposite way, three of the balls he has pulled, and nine have gone up the middle. He has walked three times and reached on an error, and has also struck out four times, three of them swinging.
• This ties the longest hitless streak of Mike Moustakas' career. He once went 21 consecutive plate appearances without a hit from July 15 to July 20 of 2011 before singling in the second inning against the Rays and a young starting pitcher named Wade Davis.
• Moustakas leads all of baseball for most plate appearances by someone without a hit with 21. Second is Mets rookie catcher Travis D'Arnaud with 17 plate appearances, followed by Astros rookie outfielder Marc Krauss with 15.
• The longest hitless streak by a non-pitcher to begin the year by someone that began the year on the Opening Day roster in 2013 was 21, set by Russell Martin of the Pirates, and Marlins first baseman Casey Kotchman, who did not get a hit in any of his 21 plate appearances last year. Former Royals farmhand Cody Clark also went 25 straight plate appearances without a hit to start the year, but he was not called up until August.
  
• Two Royals pitchers have longer hitless streaks to begin the year than Moustakas - Dick Drago went 0 for his first 34 in 1969, and Bob Johnson went 0 for his first 21 in 1970. Johnson had a .160 OBA during his hitless slump. Moustakas is at .143.
• The longest hitless streak at any point in the season in Royals history is Chuck Harrison's 45 consecutive plate appearances from June 19 to July 23 of the 1969 season. Harrison broke the slump with a pinch-hit, two-run home run.
• The longest hitless streak to begin a year since 1969 by a non-pitcher that began the year in Major League Baseball is 38, set by Indians outfielder (and one-time Royals All-Star) Richie Scheinblum in 1969.
• The most plate appearances ever by a non-pitcher who went a full season without a hit was Eugenio Velez, who went 0-40 in 2011 after being promoted in July. Pitcher Bob Buhl holds the record for pitchers, going 0-85 in 1962. I don't think Moustakas will achieve these marks.
Lynn Jones would break his slump with a double in the second inning of a three-hit, four-RBI performance. What will Moustakas do tonight?