This MLB puzzle ran on Oct 27, 2026. The task was to connect Craig Stammen to Corbin Carroll with a chain of real players. The objective: “Your chain must include an MVP winner.” Par was 3 links.
Craig Stammen (RP) played in the MLB from 2009 to 2022. Career stops: the Nationals (2009 to 2015) and the Padres (2017 to 2022). As the Start of the chain, a household name like this gives you a lot of teammates to branch from, which makes it a friendly place to begin.
Corbin Carroll (OF) played in the MLB from 2022 to 2026. A one-team career, spent with the Diamondbacks (2022 to 2026). Honors in the dataset: Rookie of the Year. As the Finish of the chain, a household name like this gives you a lot of teammates to branch from, which makes it a friendly place to begin.
Craig Stammen and Corbin Carroll do not share a team or a college, so there is no direct link. You need at least one connector in between, and the objective decides which ones are allowed to count.
This was an award objective. At least one player in the chain has to be a winner of the named honor. Of the 11,807 players in the pool, 87 satisfy it. The best known are Ken Griffey Jr. (OF, 1989 to 2010), Rickey Henderson (OF, 1979 to 2003), Reggie Jackson (OF, 1967 to 1987), Cal Ripken Jr. (SS, 1981 to 2001), Vladimir Guerrero (OF, 1996 to 2011), and Chipper Jones (3B, 1993 to 2012).
14 of those players share a team or college with Craig Stammen, and 1 share one with Corbin Carroll. The Finish is the tighter side, so it often pays to work backward from Corbin Carroll.
One shortest chain found by searching the full player pool, preferring the best known names at every step:
Many other chains work. Scoring rewards lower-profile connectors, so the best-known route is rarely the highest scoring one.
Want more? Browse the full MLB puzzle archive, read the strategy guides, or see how scoring works on How to Play.