Quantifying a sport like Banana Ball is no simple task. Who would’ve thought that highlights such as DR Meadows’ backflip catch or Ryan Cox’s between the legs catch-and-throws would be officially logged in scorebooks as Trick Plays Made (TPM)? And what about our pitchers? How many points does a certain pitcher earn per game? How many points does he lose? What is the average time it takes him to record three outs? Ladies and gentlemen, Bananalytics are just getting started! My name is Josh Talevski, your resident Banana Ball Statistics Savant – let’s get into it. 

 

Through five games on the 2023 Banana Ball World Tour, we’ve already witnessed some of the greatest games in the sport’s young history and a plethora of new records and statistical firsts. By my calculations, these facts and numbers are the zaniest and most remarkable on our fair World Tour!  

 

West Palm Beach  

• The 2023 World Tour Opening Night kicked off in West Palm Beach with the first Banana Ball game in history to feature zero sprints allowed by either team. 
• 11-year Major League Baseball veteran Rick Ankiel made his Bananas debut on Opening Night and took his first live at-bat since June 8, 2013 when he was a member of the New York Mets. 
• Night 2 in West Palm Beach saw Party Animals pitcher Bret Helton set a new Minutes Per Inning (MPI) Record for the fastest inning in Banana Ball history with a 1 minute and 27 second ninth inning that sent the game to Showdowns. 
• The first Showdown Chase in Banana Ball history ensued on Night Two! After Bananas pitcher Matt Malatesta threw ball four to Dalton Cornett, the Party Animals catcher was chased around the bases but won the Chase due to an errant throw from Malatesta.  
• Showdown Round 3 was the first Showdown in Banana Ball history with the bases loaded. Bryson Bloomer delivered with 3 RBI in Round 3 to secure a 9-6 Party Animals win. 

 

Daytona Beach 

• During Night 2, Party Animal Reece Hampton made Banana Ball history with the first inside-the-park home run in Banana Ball history. 
• The Bananas and Party Animals combined for 20 stolen bases across the two games in Daytona Beach after totaling just five through two games in West Palm Beach.  

 

Banana Fest  

• Banana Fest was the 34th Banana Ball game in history and the first to end in an official tie with both teams scoring eight points.  
• The Bananas and Party Animals wowed the Grayson Stadium crowd with a Tour-high nine trick plays! Bananas outfielder DR Meadows highlighted the night with a backflip catch and a cartwheel catch.  
• Bananas utility man Danny Hosley recorded the first Showdown Chase Stop in Banana Ball history gunning down Reece Hampton at home plate after chasing him to third base.  
• Through the Banana Fest game, Bananas shortstop Ryan Cox is the only player to have recorded at least one trick play in all 5 games to start the 2023 World Tour! He leads the Tour with eight trick plays.  

• 28 trick plays have been successfully made by the Bananas and Party Animals – which is good for an average of almost six trick plays a game.  
• DJ The Invader leads all pitchers on the World Tour with a 2 minute and 41 second average MPI through his five appearances.  

 

Here at the Bananalytics headquarters, the cutting room floor is chock full of additional facts and numbers, but, alas, the World Tour continues to progress at a furious pace, and I’ve got a date with a lovely printer to obtain some more Banana Ball scorecards. It’s been a phenomenal start to the 2023 World Tour, and for making it this far in the story. I’ll be back at it next week with more Bananalytics for yah!