![]() ![]() Whatever the cause, there is little doubt that modern hitters have noticed the rapid transformation of some of their peers. I do see that the ball seems to soar, from people that are hitting it farther than maybe they did a year ago, and they kind of look like the same person. “Baseball, bats, velocity - in some ways it’s tougher, but in some ways it provides some of the power - and I’m not sure which one has the most merit. “Theories abound,” said Twins Manager Paul Molitor, a Hall of Famer who had 3,319 hits but just one season with at least 20 home runs. But if the balls are wound tighter - even within an acceptable range - they could be harder, with lower seams, and less prone to resistance when airborne. I don’t care how hard they throw, if the ball’s right there, these guys are going to hit it.”Īs for the balls themselves, Major League Baseball has said repeatedly that extensive testing has shown them to conform to normal specifications. A lot of guys come up so quick, all they do is throw as hard as they can. “I would have to say the bottom line is the lack of quality pitching,” he said. ![]() Bert Blyleven, the Hall of Fame pitcher and Twins broadcaster, echoed Leiter, saying that even bottom-of-the-order hitters are willing to risk strikeouts for the chance to go deep.īut, Blyleven added, the problem really starts on the mound. Leiter, who calls games for the YES Network and works as an analyst for the MLB Network, said too many players who should be hitting eight to 10 homers per season were now hitting 15 to 20. It used to be turn and burn for three or four guys in the lineup. Guys don’t care if they strike out, and it’s basically turn and burn. “You don’t see two-strike approaches anymore. ![]() “The assumption now is that steroid testing is legit, and it’s working, so a lot of it has to do with approach,” Leiter added. “If you want to use the 2000 analogy, we know what was going on there,” said the broadcaster Al Leiter, an All-Star left-hander for the Mets in 2000 who neutralized power hitters with inside cutters, keeping opponents from extending their arms at the plate. More slugging means more run production, which helps the player’s team - and, usually, his earning power. The trend has been well-documented: More and more hitters are tailoring their swings to hit fly balls, which have a much better chance to go for extra bases than ground balls. It’s pretty neat, man, from a hitter’s standpoint. “I don’t care if there’s a lot of guys doing it, it’s awesome. “I still think hitting 20 home runs is a big feat, to be honest with you,” said the Yankees’ Todd Frazier, who has 26. On June 24, three Oakland Athletics rookies - Franklin Barreto, Jaycob Brugman and Matt Olson - became the first trio of teammates in more than a century to each hit their first major league homers in the same game.Īnd 108 players have hit at least 20 home runs, close to last season’s record of 111. 12, the Minnesota Twins became the first team ever to homer in each of the first seven innings of a game. The feats have come with startling regularity. Martinez, have hit four home runs in a game this season. Two players, the Cincinnati Reds’ Scooter Gennett and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ J. With 55 homers, the Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton has the most in the majors in more than a decade. The Yankees’ Aaron Judge, who had 44 homers through Monday, is threatening Mark McGwire’s rookie record of 49, set in 1987. We lose a ton of baseballs every day with those guys, no doubt about it.” “The mind-set in baseball of getting the ball airborne, it’s running rampant now in the game,” said Alan Cockrell, the Yankees’ hitting coach, after watching another explosive display from his pupils in batting practice early this summer. ![]()
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