OnlyBucs

Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants all go from division winners in 2021 to the lottery draft in 2022.

both leagues had 7 teams with winning records, and one team 81-81, and 7 teams with losing records.



That's balance!

4A6C6B7E777B6C7A72190 wrote: Oakland A's Stephen Vogt hits a home run in his final MLB at bat.


Watching video of that made me smile. It demonstrated why baseball is the best game of them all.

486E697C75796E78701B0 wrote: Clayton Kershaw passes Cy Young on the all time strike out list, moving into 24th place.



Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner also have banner games for the Dodgers, Freeman going 3-4 to fall just short of the NL batting crown and getting his 100th RBI. Trea also joins the 100 RBI club for the first time in his career.


I wonder how Cory Seager is feeling this morning?

1B3D3A2F262A3D2B23480 wrote: both leagues had 7 teams with winning records, and one team 81-81, and 7 teams with losing records.



That's balance!
here's some more balance. 4 teams with 100 or more wins

4 teams with a 100 or more losses

Excellent article on Terry Francona in todays PG (Oct.6)

While reading a list of the AL and NL league leaders in individual stats, two caught my eye:



At age 39, Justin Verlander was 18-4, with a 1.75 ERA and a WHIP of .83. I had no idea he was that dominant in 2022.



For NL hitters qualifying for the batting title by totaling at least 502 plate appearances during the season, only three NL hitters averaged over .300, and only six more hit at least .280. I didn't look it up, but I bet it has been a long time since only nine players hit .280 or better.

4A4D617660030 wrote: While reading a list of the AL and NL league leaders in individual stats, two caught my eye:



At age 39, Justin Verlander was 18-4, with a 1.75 ERA and a WHIP of .83.  I had no idea he was that dominant in 2022.



For NL hitters qualifying for the batting title by totaling at least 502 plate appearances during the season, only three NL hitters averaged over .300, and only six more hit at least .280.  I didn't look it up, but I bet it has been a long time since only nine players hit .280 or better.






I just looked at 1968 - there were only 6 .300 hitters in all of MLB that qualified for the batting titles.



Yaz was the ONLY AL hitter over .300 for the season, winning the batting title with a .301 average.



Rose led the NL with .335 followed by Matty and Felipe Alou.

7C7B574056350 wrote: While reading a list of the AL and NL league leaders in individual stats, two caught my eye:



At age 39, Justin Verlander was 18-4, with a 1.75 ERA and a WHIP of .83.  I had no idea he was that dominant in 2022.



For NL hitters qualifying for the batting title by totaling at least 502 plate appearances during the season, [highlight]only three NL hitters averaged over .300[/highlight], and only six more hit at least .280.  I didn't look it up, but I bet it has been a long time since only nine players hit .280 or better.








I noticed this as well. We all know how after 1968, with pitching so dominate, the mound was lowered and batting averages began to come back. But there's another reason why averages have fallen and that's the quest to hit HRs as often as possible. This all or nothing approach is making the game terribly boring for me. If a run can be produced with three singles instead of one HR, I'll take it every time.

7A7D514650330 wrote: While reading a list of the AL and NL league leaders in individual stats, two caught my eye:



At age 39, Justin Verlander was 18-4, with a 1.75 ERA and a WHIP of .83.  I had no idea he was that dominant in 2022.



For NL hitters qualifying for the batting title by totaling at least 502 plate appearances during the season, only three NL hitters averaged over .300, and only six more hit at least .280.  I didn't look it up, but I bet it has been a long time since only nine players hit .280 or better.
The lack of high BAs is all the more interesting when you consider that shifting often left an entire side of the infield with no defenders. The hits are there if the batters want them. But they'd rather hit into the over-defended side of the field in hopes of smashing one over the fence.