Down to final strike, Mejia extends streak to 46

With two strikes on him in his fifth and final at bat Thursday, Indians catching prospect Francisco Mejia doubled to right field, stretching his historic hitting streak to 46 consecutive games in Class A Advanced Lynchburg’s 7-3 win over Salem. The streak is the longest in Minor League Baseball in 62 years.

Mejia went hitless in his first four at-bats before his leadoff double in the top of the ninth inning. After taking a ball to get ahead in the count, 1-0, he fouled off four consecutive pitches before evening the count, 2-2. He hit a long foul ball down the right-field line on the seventh pitch of the at-bat before sending pitch No. 8 into right field for a double.

It was the first time Mejia has needed five at-bats to extend his streak. Only four times in the 46 games has it taken him four at-bats to pick up his hit.

Mejia’s streak is now tied for the seventh-longest in Minor League history, matching Johnny Bates, who hit in 46 straight for Nashville in 1925. It’s the longest streak in the Minors since Roman Mejias hit in 55 straight for Waco in 1954.

Last weekend, Mejia, the Indians’ No. 4 prospect, was the centerpiece in a proposed deal between the Indians and Brewers that would have sent Mejia and two more of Cleveland’s Top 30 Prospects — shortstop Yu-Cheng Chang and outfielder Greg Allen — along with reliever Shawn Armstrong to Milwaukee for catcher Jonathan Lucroy. The deal was nixed on Sunday, though, when Lucroy exercised his no-trade clause. Mejia and Chang were both held out of the Hillcats’ lineup on Sunday but were back in the lineup on Monday night, hours after the non-waiver Trade Deadline passed.

Mejia has posted a .384/.406/.595 slash line, with 11 doubles, two triples, eight homers and 41 RBIs during his streak, which began more than two months ago, on May 27.

Longest Minor League hitting streaks Player Games Year Joe Wilhoit 69 1919 Joe DiMaggio 61 1933 Roman Mejias 55 1954 Otto Pahlman 50 1922 Jack Ness 49 1915 Harry Chozen 49 1945 Francisco Mejia 46 2016 Johnny Bates 46 1925 James McOwen 45 2009 Brandon Watson 43 2007 Eddie Marshall 43 1935 Orlando Moreno 43 1947 Howie Bedell 43 1961 Jack Lelivelt 42 1912 Herbert Chapman 42 1950 Ducky Detweiler 40 1942 Frosty Kennedy 40 1953

The MiLB hit streak record is 69, set by Joe Wilhoit in …

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