DETROIT: Jake Rogers gets high-fives from Detroit Tigers teammates after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics at Comerica Park on July 8, 2026. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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Comedian Ray Romano made millions of dollars and entertained millions of fans with a popular television show “Everybody Loves Raymond”. Though he played a sportswriter, he never had an MLB record. Even an obscure one.
Maybe not everybody loves Jake Rogers. But in the past three weeks, even if only for a brief time, four MLB teams did. The catcher set a record by playing for four different teams in a whirlwind 21 days.
Rogers shattered the existing record with ease. In fact, he can take another 21 days to possibly extend it to five … six … seven. But who’s counting?
Not Rogers. He would prefer to stay put and try and help the White Sox complete a stunning turnaround from three straight years of 100+ losses to winning the AL Central. Chicago (65-58) already has five more wins than all of 2025 and leads the second-place Detroit Tigers by 5.5 games.
BALTIMORE: Jake Rogers bats for the Baltimore Orioles against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Aug. 2, 2026. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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The 31-year-old Rogers woke up on July 28 as a member of the Tigers for the ninth straight year. He had been touted as a minor-leaguer in 2021, hit 21 homers in 2023, then lost his job when he was designated for assignment that day. He was home in Dallas when Detroit dealt him to the Baltimore Orioles for minor-league pitcher Zane Barnhart on July 30.
The Orioles needed help with their top two catchers, Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo on the injured list. He came on for defense the next night, then started the next two games, going 1-for-5 at the plate.
BOSTON: Jake Rogers (46) of the Boston Red Sox high-fives Caleb Durbin #5 after scoring a run against the Athletics at Fenway Park on Aug. 7, 2026. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
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On the day of the 2026 MLB trading deadline, the Orioles made a surprise move by dealing all-star Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox for four prospects. They tossed in Rogers and got back veteran backstop Carlos Narvaez.
With Rutschman still hurt, Rogers was the backup to former backup Connor Wong. He got into three games, going 3-for-6 with two doubles, four runs and one RBI.
A few days later, Rogers found himself right back in Detroit – playing for the Chicago White Sox, who have catcher injuries, too. He got a standing ovation from fans who remembered his good days for the Tigers and understood his traveling ordeal. Rogers went 0-for 4. But he was happy the White Sox won.
DETROIT: Jake Rogers of the Chicago White Sox breaks his bat hitting into a ground out against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
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“It’s been a crazy few weeks here, been a whirlwind to say the least,” Rogers told Jason Beck of MLB.com. “It’s been fun to kind of meet some new guys and kind of bounce around, so to say. But it’s kind of good to get settled in here with Chicago, funny to kind of have a full turnaround and play my first game with (the White Sox) in Detroit. Of course it happens like that.”
What was Tigers manager A.J. Hinch’s reaction?
“I texted him and told him, ‘Baseball’s really weird,’ ” Hinch said.
The Old MLB Record
Frank Huelsman took a similar trek around the American League in 1904, playing for half of its’ eight teams at the time in 42 days. The outfielder actually packed his bags five times, getting an extra trip when Detroit bought him from Chicago on May 30, then sent him back to the White Sox on June 8.
CHICAGO: Frank Huelsman, baseball player for the American League Washington Senators in 1905. (Photo by Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Daily News collection/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images)
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Chicago sold him again eight days later, to the St. Louis Browns and 28 days after that he was traded to the Washington Senators.
Huelsman began his career playing in the National League at age 23 for the 1897 St. Louis Browns. Those Browns are actually the St. Louis Cardinals. The franchise began in the American Association in 1882 as the St. Louis Brown Stockings, became the Browns a year later, moved to the NL in 1892, used the nickname Perfectos in 1899 and became the Cardinals in 1900.
Huelsman’s best – and last – MLB season was 1905 with Washington when he hit .271. In 235 MLB games, he batted .258 with 5 homers and 97 RBI. Then he became a great minor-league player. He played until age 42 and had three fabulous seasons for Great Falls (MT) and Salt Lake City in 1911-13 when he hit a combined .407 with 120 doubles, 54 triples and 51 homers.
Sluggers Tour MLB
In 1977, MLB had only four divisions, the AL East and West; the NL East and West. Dave Kingman played for teams in all four.
NEW YORK: Dave Kingman homers in his first game for the New York Mets on April 8, 1975, at Shea Stadium against the Philadelphia Phillies. After four seasons in San Francisco, the Giants sold him to the Mets in February for $150,000. (Photo By: Paul DeMaria/NY Daily News via Getty Images)
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The slugger was nicknamed Sky King or Kong as a 6-foot-6 player who launched majestic home runs out of ballparks when he wasn’t striking out at maddening rates. Unlike Rogers, who was warmly welcomed at each spot on his recent journey, Kingman’s often-surly disposition sometimes had him wearing out his welcome almost as soon as it was offered.
He opened 1977 with the New York Mets after hitting 36 and 37 homers for them the previous two years. After 58 games, he was traded to the San Diego Padres, who put him on waivers after 56 games. The California Angels claimed him, but after 10 games dealt him to the New York Yankees. In 132 games overall, he had 26 homers.
Kingman signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs for 1977. In 1978, he had a career-high 48 homers. The Cubs traded him back to the Mets in 1981, and he had 37 homers in 1982. He went to Oakland as a free agent in 1984 and totaled 100 homers in three seasons.
He totaled 442 homers and 1,816 strikeouts over 16 seasons.
Jose Bautista was the most famous of eight others since 1901 to play for four clubs in a season. As a rookie, he was with Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. He went to Toronto in 2008 and became a superstar slugger, surpassing 35 homers and 100 RBI four times.
How About A 5-for-1 MLB Record?
Three pitchers share the record of bouncing between five teams in one year:
- Oliver Drake (2018): Brewers, Indians, Angels, Blue Jays, Twins; 44 games, all in relief, 1-1 record, 5.39 ERA.
- Mike Baumann (2024): Orioles, Mariners, Giants, Angels, Marlins; 57 games, all in relief, 3-1 record, 5.55 ERA.
- José Ureña (2025): Mets, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Twins, Angels; 19 games, 6 starts, 0-1 record, 1 saves, 4.58 ERA.
CLEVELAND: Oliver Drake pitches for the Cleveland Indians against the Houston Astros on May 24, 2018, at Progressive Field. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Drake, now 39, retired after the 2020 season with a 10-10 record in 196 games, all in relief.
Baumann, 30, has a 15-6 record in 134 MLB games including four starts. He pitched in Japan in 2025 and was with the Mets’ Triple-A team in Syracuse this year until being released in June.
Urena, 34, has a 44-78 record and six saves in 278 MLB games including 158 starts. He is currently pitching in Japan, possibly hoping to return to America and somehow set another MLB record of some kind.
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