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Is the MLB Home Run losing significance?

MLBdaysMLBdays Posts: 1,359 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited July 20, 2019 9:11PM in Sports Talk

I counted 59 home runs hit last night...... that's one full schedule of Friday night games minus the Yankee/Royal rainout... 14 games..... 4.21 homers per game....3 different guys had multiple homer games. And its every single night. Like the 3 point shot in hoops the home run is the lightening rod for MLB and its becoming less significant. I see a Klay Thompson 3 point shot go in and I yawn ... just look at the home run leader list ....If you have 10 home runs or more today...that extrapolates to 31 homers for the season. 59 different players in MLB have 10 or more homers and they are all on target for 30 plus homers and more. 35 players have 12 homers or more and are on target to hit 38-40 homers...... 35 different players......back in the day you might see 5 guys with 35 or more HR's and maybe 2 or three with 40 plus...... the game~ it is a changin'. IT may not mean much today ...but in 10-20 years we may be seeing career numbers we haven't seen before.

Comments

  • CoinstartledCoinstartled Posts: 10,135 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Bellinger will hit 120 of them this year.

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,171 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Well NO ONE cares about batting average, so let's hit home runs.

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,347 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I love HR’s, best part of baseball in my opinion. And I know I’m not your typical baseball fan weirdo who wants 3-2 games with solid pitching and run manufacturing. Let them do steroids and hit as many HR’s as possible 👍

  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭

    as I said in another thread, the Twins are a bunch of average players who are all simultaneously having above average/career seasons. it shows in every game they play. add to the fact that the Team is playing hot that the ball is finding the open spot and dropping. the Twins are scoring a lot of runs, playing from ahead and winning easily.

    I find myself following their exploits as closely as those of the hometown Cleveland Indians.

    also, about the HR's --- no one seems to care if they strike-out. how many of them were there last night??

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,171 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @keets said:
    as I said in another thread, the Twins are a bunch of average players who are all simultaneously having above average/career seasons. it shows in every game they play. add to the fact that the Team is playing hot that the ball is finding the open spot and dropping. the Twins are scoring a lot of runs, playing from ahead and winning easily.

    I find myself following their exploits as closely as those of the hometown Cleveland Indians.

    also, about the HR's --- no one seems to care if they strike-out. how many of them were there last night??

    They do have a couple of good players, if Rosario would walk more, he would have an outstanding OPS, he has been good for the last two years. Buxton has a TON of talent, Keppler has some power, they picked up Cruz, who has hit a lot of HR over his career.

    They have FINALLY added some guys who are playing better than they did with their old teams. Usually when the cheapskate Pohlads got someone, their performance became disappointing.

    Berrios and Gibson were highly regarded (especially Berrios) prospects that are finally playing like we thought/hoped they would.

    Certainly, they have some guys having career years Cron showed some ability last year with the Rays, Schoop was really good in 2017 with the O's.

    Twins are building a nice lead in the division. Can they continue to play at a high level? We'll see.

    I for one am really enjoying the ride.

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Home Runs used to be just one weapon in the arsenal of a skilled hitter.

    Now, there are hitters hitting a ton of HRs but they cannot beat the shift.

    That's the difference I see.

  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 26, 2019 10:20AM

    Now, there are hitters hitting a ton of HRs but they cannot beat the shift.
    That's the difference I see
    .

    the difference to me is that they don't even try anymore.

    some of the change is the result of all the "metrics" involved in MLB today and the way it has altered strategy and taken advantage of the players' egos. when Teams shift it is imperative that the pitcher have good location. when that happens, let's say the hitter is a lefty, they focus on low and away to give him nothing to pull of loft. most batters try to do one thing: foul off any strikes to stay alive and wait for a mistake that comes in.

    lately many Teams employ the shift when a hitter gets to two strikes.

    pay attention the next game you watch and tell me who you see choke up on the bat and alter their stance slightly. almost nobody does that and the "hole" they need to hit is usually about 60-70 feet wide between 2nd and 3rd. the batters who are capable of hitting away don't get shifted, only the guys who's egos are too proud to let them "give in" and use what the pitcher gives them. really, these guys are seasoned pro's who should have had plenty of cage-time to work on this stuff. nobody cares anymore.

  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭

    are there any statistics which bear out the change this season in the ball aerodynamics??

  • JRR300JRR300 Posts: 1,346 ✭✭✭✭

    The game has changed so much that now, all they want from the hitters is "launch angle" which over time will create more home runs. No more shortening the swing with 2 strikes to make contact; they don't care about strikeouts. I can count on one hand when a player leads off an inning, the shift is on and he tries to beat the shift and get on base to get the inning started. The stolen base has been tucked away in mothballs, hit and runs are a thing of the past, etc etc etc. I realize I'm showing my age here, but these things were all important parts of the game. I'm just saying that there should be a place for these things in the game today and sadly, there doesn't appear to be.

  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,720 ✭✭✭✭✭

    No... And I will leave the details to those that thrive on arguing about insignificant stats.

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

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