MLB batting avg .242

“It seems pretty much impossible. If the mariners could hit, who could beat us”-wake forest pitcher

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I’m going to get flamed all to hell but I don’t care, won’t be the first or last time here, but batting average is an antiquated stat in 2024 and it’s only Boomers who remember the chyron they showed on the Game of the Week with Curt and Tony who cling to it. There’s not a team in MLB today whose front office gives six cacas about it even if fans still do. That being said, slugging average and on base percentage, two way more important stats, are down by 20 and 8 points, respectively, from last season, so your point is on target. There’s a lot of offensive suckery right now.

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On base percentage matters I’ll give you that. Plenty of baseball games that you just need a hit and jackass Gallo or Schwarber up there and might hit a foot low curveball out the stadium or get a heater down the middle and miss. There is a fine line and it’s gone way too far to one side.

Or, because pitching and defense are better.

Hmmm....I'm an antiquated writer that clings to batting average. I'm interested in OBP, but I don't include slugging.

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A hit of course .

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So why would you overate a stat that weighs a walk as much as a single?

This is why Joey vottos teams could never win. Their best player was obsessed with drawing a walk.

Who has the highest batting average with a RISP in the 9th inning? That's my MVP

Slugging measures hitting the ball hard, not necessarily over the fence. I too dislike people going up there swinging from the heels like those old Men of Steele traveling softball teams that used to get pissed off if they hit a single instead of a home run.

Here's an example. In 1966, Matty Alou hit .342 with 154 singles out of 183 hits and he walked 24 times in 578 plate appearances.

Harmon Killebrew that same year hit .281 with 67 extra base hits out of 160 total hits (I'm not even mentioning his home runs) and walked 103 times in 677 plate appearances.

Who was the better offensive player?

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Here's an example. In 1966, Matty Alou hit .342 with 154 singles out of 183 hits and he walked 24 times in 578 plate appearances. Harmon Killebrew that same year hit .281 with 67 extra base hits out of 160 total hits (I'm not even mentioning his home runs) and walked 103 times in 677 plate appearances. Who was the better offensive player?

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How many RBIs?

People used to fuss at Ted Williams ... only the greatest hitter ever born of a woman ... for walking so much, said he ought to get the bat off his shoulder and swing at whatever pitches he saw on the off chance that he might connect and get a hit.

It wasn't about Ted deliberately trying to walk, he was simply not going to swing at anything that wasn't a good pitch to hit.

Same with Mantle. People bitched about his strikeouts, but he also wouldn't swing at anything that wasn't a good pitch to hit and his .421 on base percentage totally negated the strikeouts IMO.

What I can't stand are these jabronis today with a .298 OBP striking out 150 times.