This MLB puzzle ran on Nov 5, 2026. The task was to connect Kevin Seitzer to Tony Gwynn with a chain of real players. The objective: “Your chain must include a player born in Nicaragua.” Par was 4 links. A search of the full player pool found a shortest chain of 3 links.
Kevin Seitzer (3B) played in the MLB from 1986 to 1997. Career stops: the Royals (1986 to 1991), the Brewers (1992 to 1996), the Athletics (1993), and the Guardians (1996 to 1997). 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.
Tony Gwynn (OF) played in the MLB from 1982 to 2001. A one-team career, spent with the Padres (1982 to 2001). 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.
Kevin Seitzer and Tony Gwynn 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 a birthplace objective. At least one player in the chain has to have been born in the named country. Of the 11,807 players in the pool, 16 satisfy it. The best known are Dennis Martinez (SP, 1976 to 1998), Vicente Padilla (SP, 1999 to 2012), Marvin Benard (OF, 1995 to 2003), Jonathan Loáisiga (RP, 2018 to 2026), Everth Cabrera (SS, 2009 to 2015), and David Green (1B, 1981 to 1987).
3 of those players share a team or college with Kevin Seitzer, and 1 share one with Tony Gwynn. The Finish is the tighter side, so it often pays to work backward from Tony Gwynn.
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.