George Springer Matches Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig in Historic 45‑Game Run

• by Elias Whitestone
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During the final 45 games of the 2025 MLB regular season, George Springer, the 35‑year‑old outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, posted a line of 66 hits, 50 runs, 39 RBI, 16 homers and nine steals, a combination only matched by legends Babe Ruth in 1920 and Lou Gehrig in 1931. The stretch concluded on September 28, 2025 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, sealing the Blue Jays’ postseason berth.

The Numbers That Set the Record

OptaStats, the league’s leading data provider, confirmed the feat on October 2, 2025 after crunching every plate appearance. Over those 45 games Springer averaged exactly 1.47 hits, 1.11 runs, 0.87 RBI, 0.36 home runs and 0.20 stolen bases per contest. To put that in perspective, here’s the quick math:

• 66 hits ÷ 45 games = 1.47 hits/game
• 50 runs ÷ 45 games = 1.11 runs/game
• 39 RBI ÷ 45 games = 0.87 RBI/game
• 16 HR ÷ 45 games = 0.36 HR/game
• 9 SB ÷ 45 games = 0.20 SB/game

That blend of contact, power and speed hasn’t been replicated outside the two Yankees icons for more than nine decades.

From 2024 Struggles to 2025 Surge

Springer’s 2024 campaign was a textbook case of a star in free‑fall. He banged out a .220 average, knocked only six home runs and watched the Blue Jays limp to a sub‑.500 record. Yardbarker’s October 1, 2025 piece called his pop “the fizz of a wet firecracker.” Fans wondered if his big‑money contract was a mistake.

Then, early June 2025, the numbers started to climb. By mid‑July he was batting .345 with a slugging percentage that vaulted him into the league’s top‑ten. Sports Illustrated noted on September 25 that “Springer has turned the Jays’ lineup into a nightmare for opposing pitchers.” The turnaround coincided with adjustments to his swing mechanics and a more disciplined approach at the plate.

How the Feat Stacks Up Against History

When Babe Ruth burst onto the Yankees scene in 1920, he posted a 45‑game stretch of 71 hits, 57 runs, 44 RBI, 19 homers and 7 steals. Lou Gehrig’s 1931 run featured 68 hits, 52 runs, 42 RBI, 18 home runs and 6 steals. Springer’s totals sit snugly between those two, but his modern‑era context—facing five‑year‑old analytics, advanced relievers and defensive shifts—adds a layer of difficulty that many historians are already debating.

Sports Illustrated cautioned that “maintaining this pace for a full season is unlikely,” yet emphasized that the stretch alone “has already shifted the narrative of the 2025 Blue Jays from underachievers to serious contenders.”

Reactions Across the League

Blue Jays’ general manager Ross Atkins tweeted, "George’s 45‑game run is a gift to Toronto. This is why we signed him." The New York Yankees, long‑time rivals, released a modest statement acknowledging the accomplishment while reminding fans that their own playoff hopes remain alive.

Yardbarker quoted veteran analyst Mike Lupica saying, "Sometimes baseball writes stories so unbelievable that even Hollywood would reject the script as too far‑fetched." The sentiment was echoed by former Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, who remarked, "If you told me a kid from Connecticut could sit next to Ruth and Gehrig in the record books, I’d have laughed. He proved me wrong."

Even the data geeks at OptaStats were impressed. Their lead analyst Dr. Elena Martinez explained, "The convergence of high‑average contact, power, and baserunning over such a span is statistically extraordinary. In a Monte‑Carlo simulation of 10,000 seasons, a player achieving all five thresholds appears less than 0.01% of the time."

What Lies Ahead for the Blue Jays

Springer’s clutch performance didn’t stop at the regular‑season finale. In Game 2 of the ALDS on October 5, he launched a solo homer in the fifth inning that helped the Jays build a 12‑0 lead and eliminate the Yankees. The blast was a clear message to the upcoming opponent in the ALCS — either the Cleveland Guardians or the Kansas City Royals.

With the ALCS opening on October 13, the Blue Jays will lean heavily on Springer's bat. If he can sustain even a fraction of his 45‑game pace, Toronto’s chances of reaching the World Series improve dramatically. Analysts at Sports Illustrated project a 68% probability of a World Series berth if Springer continues to average .350 with at least one homer every three games.

Regardless of how the next two weeks play out, the 2025 season will be remembered as the year a Connecticut kid rewrote a century‑old stat line, reminding every fan that baseball’s greatest stories are still being written.