Southern Maryland’s Braxton Lee is chasing a record. It’s not a big record. Not a record that would have Blue Crabs fans throwing him a parade. But it is a record.

Lee is Southern Maryland’s everyday right fielder and a very good one. He is ninth in the Atlantic League with a .307 batting average. He played college baseball at Ole Miss and was a 12^th round pick of the Rays in 2014. Lee got to the Major Leagues in 2018 when he played eight games with the Miami Marlins.   

This season, Lee has 83 hits including five triples and is fourth on the Blue Crabs with 43 RBI. His 16 doubles are second only to league batting leader David Harris. Defensively, Lee is tied for the league lead with zero errors on the season. His defense has been perfect.

What Braxton Lee doesn’t have is a home run this season. Which brings us to the record.

The Atlantic League record for the most RBI in a season without a home run is 47 by Kennard Jones of Bridgeport in 2012. Jones played 119 games and had 123 hits including 18 doubles and four triples. He drove in 47 runs and knocked them all home without the benefit of a home run.

In 2013, York’s Ruddy Yan played in 115 games, collected 100 hits including 15 doubles and three triples and managed to drive in 44 runs without a home run.

Lee’s 43 RBI without the benefit of a home run is currently the third-best mark in league history. With Lee averaging .58 RBI per game, he is on pace to break the league mark for the most RBI in a season without a home run in nine more games. Which would be just about the time Southern Maryland visits Lancaster July 26-28. And it would make Lee the undisputed record holder in RBI per game for those without a home run. Lee could set the mark in about 82 games while Jones needed 119 and Yan played in 115 contests.

This is one of those records where there is no downside. If Braxton hits a home run, he’ll lose the record but he’ll help the Blue Crabs win. And if he doesn’t homer, his consistent RBI pace will still be helping the Blue Crabs win.

Good luck, Braxton!