Jake Rogers Sets Unprecedented MLB Mark with Four-Team Tour in 21 Days

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)

MLB Photos via Getty Images

While comedian Ray Romano entertained audiences as a sportswriter in “Everybody Loves Raymond,” he never claimed an MLB record. Catcher Jake Rogers, however, recently claimed an obscure one.

Not everyone may love Jake Rogers, but over a whirlwind 21-day span, four different MLB teams certainly had him on their roster. The catcher set a new league record by playing for four separate teams in less than a month.

Rogers shattered the previous record with ease. He could technically extend the record further, but the 31-year-old would much rather find a permanent home.

Rogers is currently focused on helping the Chicago White Sox complete a stunning turnaround. After three consecutive seasons with over 100 losses, Chicago sits at 65-58, boasting five more wins than their entire 2025 campaign and holding a 5.5-game lead over the second-place Detroit Tigers in the AL Central.

On July 28, Rogers was preparing for his ninth consecutive season with the Tigers. Once a highly touted prospect who hit 21 home runs in 2023, Rogers was designated for assignment and subsequently traded to the Baltimore Orioles for minor-league pitcher Zane Barnhart on July 30.

Baltimore required catching depth with both Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo on the injured list. Rogers served as a defensive replacement upon arrival and started the subsequent two games, posting a 1-for-5 line at the plate.

On the day of the 2026 MLB trade deadline, the Orioles stunned the baseball world by trading star Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox for four prospects. Baltimore included Rogers in the deal, acquiring veteran catcher Carlos Narvaez in return.

With Rutschman still sidelined, Rogers backed up Connor Wong in Boston. He appeared in three games, going 3-for-6 with two doubles, four runs, and one RBI.

Days later, Rogers returned to Detroit, but this time as a member of the Chicago White Sox, who were also dealing with catcher injuries. He received a standing ovation from Tigers fans appreciative of his past contributions and sympathetic to his journey. Rogers went 0-for-4 but was pleased to see the White Sox secure the victory.

“It’s been a crazy few weeks here, been a whirlwind to say the least,” Rogers told MLB.com’s Jason Beck. “It’s been fun to meet some new guys and bounce around. But it’s good to get settled in here with Chicago. It’s funny to have a full turnaround and play my first game with the White Sox in Detroit. Of course, it happens like that.”

When asked about his former player’s chaotic month, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch summed it up succinctly.

“I texted him and told him, ‘Baseball’s really weird,’ ” Hinch said.

The Previous MLB Record

Before Rogers, Frank Huelsman took a similar journey around the American League in 1904, playing for half of the league’s eight teams in 42 days. The outfielder packed his bags five times, including a brief stint where Detroit acquired him from Chicago on May 30, only to send him back to the White Sox on June 8.

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 Major League career in 1897 at age 23 with the St. Louis Browns, a franchise that eventually became the modern-day St. Louis Cardinals. The organization cycled through several nicknames—including the Brown Stockings, Perfectos, and finally the Cardinals in 1900.

His best and final MLB season came in 1905 with Washington, where he batted .271. Across 235 career MLB games, Huelsman hit .258 with five home runs and 97 RBIs. He later became a standout minor-league player, competing until age 42 and posting three exceptional seasons for Great Falls and Salt Lake City from 1911 to 1913, hitting a combined .407 with 120 doubles, 54 triples, and 51 home runs.

Sluggers Tour MLB

In 1977, when Major League Baseball consisted of only four divisions, slugger Dave Kingman managed to play for teams in all of them.

Standing 6-foot-6 and nicknamed “Sky King” or “Kong,” Kingman was known for hitting majestic home runs alongside maddeningly high strikeout totals. Unlike Rogers, who was warmly received at every stop, Kingman’s famously surly attitude often wore out his welcome quickly.

He started the 1977 season with the New York Mets after hitting 36 and 37 home runs the prior two years. After 58 games, he was traded to the San Diego Padres, who placed him on waivers 56 games later. The California Angels claimed him but traded him to the New York Yankees after just 10 appearances. In 132 total games that year, he hit 26 home runs.

Kingman later signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs for the 1978 season, where he launched a career-high 48 home runs. He was traded back to the Mets in 1981, hit 37 homers in 1982, and joined the Oakland Athletics as a free agent in 1984, accumulating 100 home runs over three seasons there.

He concluded his 16-year career with 442 home runs and 1,816 strikeouts.

Jose Bautista is the most notable of eight other players since 1901 to play for four teams in a single season. As a rookie, he played for Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Bautista eventually landed in Toronto in 2008 and transformed into a superstar, eclipsing 35 home runs and 100 RBIs four times.

How About A 5-for-1 MLB Record?

Three pitchers share the record for playing on five different teams in a single season:

• 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.

Drake, now 39, retired after the 2020 season with a 10-10 record across 196 relief appearances.

Baumann, 30, holds a 15-6 record in 134 MLB games, including four starts. He pitched in Japan during the 2025 season and spent time with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse this year before being released in June.

Ureña, 34, holds a 44-78 record with six saves over 278 MLB appearances, including 158 starts. He is currently pitching in Japan, perhaps hoping to eventually return to the United States and make another run at baseball history.

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