18 Comments
User's avatar
Ian H.'s avatar

Can only pitchers strike?

invitro's avatar

Streak's about to be snapped... only 10 innings in 3 games left. Players in these games with 1 HR: Mike Moustakas, Marcus Semien, Khris Davis, Will Smith.

Andy's avatar

Down to Rowdy Tellez and Will Smith as Dodgers-Blue Jays enters the bottom of the 10th.

invitro's avatar

I wonder if Joe will tell us what the 40-day surprise was going to be.

Paul White's avatar

If we take the current MLB hitting totals and convert them to an average 600 PA season, the average major leaguer has hit 22 homers. (143,976 PAs / 600 = 240 seasons; There have been 5274 homers so far. 5274 / 240 = 22 HRs)

That strikes me as incredible. For comparison, 2017 had the most HRs (6105), which would be 20 HRs per 600 PA season. Some other years:

2000 - 18 HRs per 600 PAs

1995 - 16 HRs per 600 PAs

1987 - 16.5 HRs per 600 PAs

1980 - 11.5 HRs per 600 PAs

1970 - 14 HRs per 600 PAs

1950 - 13 HRs per 600 PAs

1930 - 10 HRs per 600 PAs

1920 - 4 HRs per 600 PAs

Tony Sachs's avatar

That sounds about right to me, as Brett Gardner — my definition of an average player — is going to hit about 20 this year. Crazy, but right.

Andy's avatar

I imagine you mean in home runs, but Gardner has been above average in BWAR every year of his career, and is 20 wins above average overall. He's a no doubt, first-ballot, Hall of Very Good player.

Tony Sachs's avatar

Yes, in terms of bWAR he’s almost the equivalent of Harold Baines for his career. I was thinking in terms of OPS+, where he sits right around 100. I’m a Yankees fan (sorry, Joe!) and hope he stays in pinstripes as long as he wants to wear ‘em.

tmutchell's avatar

I was really hoping for a Clerks reference in here somewhere...

Bruce Ward's avatar

Hot and toasty pop culture references served here daily for your dining pleasure.

Tony Sachs's avatar

I hope you let us know in October who hit the fewest home runs (minimum, oh, 400 PA?) this year. I mean, I could look it up myself, but since you’ve got the charts and all....

tmutchell's avatar

Well, at the moment the only player in MLB with 300 plate appearances and no homers is Billy Hamilton, who was just released by the third worst offense in MLB. Last year nobody came to the plate that often without hitting at least one (also 2004 and 2006, FWIW), and you have to go back to 2012 to find a year when more than two people did it.

Yolmer Sanchez currently has the fewest (2) for anyone with 400 PA.

Andross444's avatar

I don’t think Billy Hamilton will meet the threshold (0 HR in 277 AB with minimal PAs going forward) so I’m guessing it’ll be Dee Gordon who should see more playing time down the stretch (3 HR in 300 AB)

invitro's avatar

Right now, it's still Yolmer Sanchez with 2 HR in 416 PA.

Brian's avatar

I guy hit two homers off of me in my Baltimore rec league softball game ant I thought about tweeting that to you. Should I do that if it happens again next week?