Former Blue Jays slugger sets Brewers single game RBI record

A little late to the punch on this one but an old friend of the Toronto Blue Jays has set a franchise record with his new club and it should be acknowledged. Former Jays slugger Rowdy Tellez had an amazing game Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds, collecting eight RBI while going 4 for 6 on the evening on the way to an 18-4 victory. The eight RBI in a single game is record-breaking within the Brewers franchise.

Tellez used the long ball to set the franchise record, crushing a grand slam in the fourth inning off starter Vladimir Gutierrez before collecting another round-tripper in the sixth to add two more RBI to the total. He capped it off with a double in the eighth inning to score two more runs and bring the total to eight on the day, while also adding a single back in the first inning that didn’t plate any runs.

Blue Jays fans will remember when Tellez burst on the scene back in late 2018, amassing nine doubles, four home runs, and a .943 OPS through 22 games in September. The hard-hitting lefty batter would struggle to find consistency at the big league level, being optioned and recalled a few times spanning from 2019 to 2021.

Former Blue Jays slugger Rowdy Tellez had a terrific game Wednesday night, collecting eight RBI and setting the Brewers record for most RBI in one game.

With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. moving over from third base to first base last season, Tellez was relegated more to a DH role and was struggling to put the ball in play. The California product would be traded midseason to the Brewers in exchange for reliever Trevor Richards and prospect pitcher Bowden Francis as the Jays desperately needed some bullpen help and Tellez was not going to get as much playing time in Toronto.

A change of scenery has done wonders for Tellez, as he finished the 2021 campaign as the Brewers’ late-inning pinch hitter or manning first base, an area the club was struggling to find offensive value in at the time. He would finish the season with a .814 OPS and 28 RBI for his new club. Fast forward to today and Tellez continues to find success in the Brew Crew lineup, owning a .275/.341/.625 slash line with seven doubles, seven home runs, 22 RBI, and a .966 OPS while playing 23 games at first base with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

Overall, while he is no longer doing it in a Blue Jays uniform, it is nice to Tellez finding some success at the MLB level. Unfortunately, the Jays could probably use his left-handed bat at the moment, especially given the troubles the club is currently having with cashing in runners in scoring position. For Jays fans, the current single-game RBI record is a tie between Roy Howell and Edwin Encarnacion with nine RBI.

Congrats on the franchise record Rowdy!