LOS ANGELES — Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker could not put a finger on why he crushes the baseball at Dodger Stadium at an otherworldly rate.
The Diamondbacks put together a great team win on Wednesday at Chavez Ravine, overcoming an early 4-1 deficit with 11 unanswered runs to even their series against the Dodgers.
Walker drove in four runs in a 4-for-5 performance that included two home runs. He was inches away from three dingers, as he hit a double off the wall in left.
Christian Walker LOVES hitting at Dodger Stadium.
2 HRs tonight, 17 HRs in 41 career games 🤯 pic.twitter.com/oMBjzSZypd
— MLB (@MLB) July 4, 2024
Walker already has seven home runs in contests games against the Dodgers this season, including two multi-homer games. At Dodger Stadium, he has five homers in as many games, but his dominance at this park goes well beyond 2024.
“It’s just one of those things,” Walker said. “There’s not a rhyme or reason to it … I think anytime you play well in a park, there’s a few parks around the league where something feels different about the batter’s box and maybe the lights, maybe just the visuals, but just one of those things, not really one specific thing.”
“It’s almost a running joke in the dugout that he’s going to hit one or two every series when he comes in here, and he has done it,” manager Torey Lovullo added. “He’s in such a good spot.”
By the numbers: Christian Walker’s Dodger Stadium dominance
17 home runs
Walker has 17 career homers at Chavez Ravine dating back to 2018. That is the most hit by an opposing player during that stretch by six, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs.
It is also tied for the most home runs at Dodger Stadium by a Diamondbacks player in franchise history with Luis Gonzalez and Paul Goldschmidt. Gonzalez got there in 282 plate appearances and Goldschmidt in 270.
Walker only has 147 career plate appearances at the ballpark.
“Honestly, it’s just a funny baseball thing,” Walker said. “I wish I had something for you, but it’s just one of those things.”
5
Walker has five homers in his last four games at what Wikipedia briefly pegged “Christian Walker Stadium.”
The list of players to accomplish this feat is 2024 Walker, 2021 Fernando Tatis Jr., 2013 Hunter Pence, 2001 Gonzalez and 1979 Mike Schmidt, according to Langs. That’s it. The Dodgers moved in for the 1962 season.
41 games
Walker has played in 41 games at Dodger Stadium, thus he is hitting 0.415 home runs per game. Stretched out over a 162-game season, Walker would be on pace for more than 67 home runs.
To put that in context, Barry Bonds holds the single-season record with 73. Mark McGwire hit 70. Sammy Sosa is next on the list with 66.
“I wish I could put my finger it,” Lovullo said. “Walk must have really good sightlines here. He must love the backdrop. He shrinks this ballpark up as good as anybody I’ve seen.”
Nobody in Dodgers history has even done this:
most HR in 1st 41 career games at Dodger Stadium:
Christian Walker: 17
Cody Bellinger: 15 https://t.co/gSA4p2p6Pe— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 4, 2024
3 sluggers
Walker is one of three players with at least 17 home runs at an opposing park since 2018. The other two are Aaron Judge (19) at Camden Yards in Baltimore and Mike Trout (18) at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
1 game
Unfortunately for Walker, the D-backs only have one more game at Dodger Stadium this season in Thursday’s series finale. The two sides are 4-4 against each other this year and play a four-game set at Chase Field starting Aug. 30.
Christian Walker continues to crush baseballs at Dodger Stadium, but he can’t put a finger on why he has so much success in this park compared to others. pic.twitter.com/O7l9N5JUBf
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) July 4, 2024
20 home runs
Unrelated to his Dodger Stadium dominance, Walker crossed the 20-homer mark for the third straight year and fourth instance with the D-backs.
He is tied with Bryce Harper for the most home runs by a National League first baseman and leads the position group with 59 RBIs. He is third behind Harper and Los Angeles’ Freddie Freeman in OPS (.845) and slugging (.506).
The All-Star Game is less than two weeks away. Harper was voted the NL’s starting first baseman but is on the injured list with a low-grade hamstring strain. He could return before the All-Star break.
Reserves are picked by players ballots and the commissioner’s office.
“I hope he gets very strong consideration,” Lovullo — who will manage the NL — said of Walker’s case. “I would love to bring him to Texas with us.”
