What's happening to hitting in baseball?
May 29, 2024 2:06:13 GMT
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nutsberryfarm 🏜, Rufus-T, and 1 more like this
Post by hehatesshe on May 29, 2024 2:06:13 GMT
I was listening to "MoneyBall" earlier and something stuck with me:
BEANE: You’re still trying to replace Giambi – I told you, we can’t do it and we can’t do it now! What we might be able to do is recreate him. Recreate him in the aggregate. What is Giambi’s on-base percentage?
FUSON: It was 477.
BEANE: Damon’s on base?
FUSON: 324.
BEANE: And Almatus was 291. Add that up and you get –
BRAND: Do you want me to speak?
BEANE: When I point you, yeah.
BRAND: 1092.
BEANE: Divided by three?
BRAND: 364.
BEANE: That’s what we’re looking for! Three ball players – Three ball players whose average OBP is 364.
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3 ball players that average a 364 OBP?!? Now a days that would be impossible in a single offseason.
To put that in perspective, in 2001-2006 between 70 and 90 guys a year averaged a .350 OBP.
In 2019 it was 55. 54 in 2020. 48 in '21. 32 in 2022. And 38 last year (no shift). It's 39 so far this year.
To go from 70-90 guys a year to below 40 has to have some sort of explanation?
Are the pitchers just better?
I thought it might be that hitters are selling out for home runs, but slugging percentage is also on a steep decline.
In those early 2000s we would regularly have 40+ hitters slug .500 or better. The last few years it's in the low 20s. This year it is 20.
This is probably why pitchers are getting injured more now than ever before. Throwing that hard, that many types of pitches, so they can fool the hitters.
I definitely preferred it 20 years ago. A little more offense and a little healthier pitching staffs.
BEANE: You’re still trying to replace Giambi – I told you, we can’t do it and we can’t do it now! What we might be able to do is recreate him. Recreate him in the aggregate. What is Giambi’s on-base percentage?
FUSON: It was 477.
BEANE: Damon’s on base?
FUSON: 324.
BEANE: And Almatus was 291. Add that up and you get –
BRAND: Do you want me to speak?
BEANE: When I point you, yeah.
BRAND: 1092.
BEANE: Divided by three?
BRAND: 364.
BEANE: That’s what we’re looking for! Three ball players – Three ball players whose average OBP is 364.
-------------------------------------------
3 ball players that average a 364 OBP?!? Now a days that would be impossible in a single offseason.
To put that in perspective, in 2001-2006 between 70 and 90 guys a year averaged a .350 OBP.
In 2019 it was 55. 54 in 2020. 48 in '21. 32 in 2022. And 38 last year (no shift). It's 39 so far this year.
To go from 70-90 guys a year to below 40 has to have some sort of explanation?
Are the pitchers just better?
I thought it might be that hitters are selling out for home runs, but slugging percentage is also on a steep decline.
In those early 2000s we would regularly have 40+ hitters slug .500 or better. The last few years it's in the low 20s. This year it is 20.
This is probably why pitchers are getting injured more now than ever before. Throwing that hard, that many types of pitches, so they can fool the hitters.
I definitely preferred it 20 years ago. A little more offense and a little healthier pitching staffs.
