Bill James posts a typically interesting piece on the history of contact and power hitters in the context of 40 home run hitters not driving in 100 runs. His basic thesis is that everyone is a power hitter today, and when everyone is a power hitter, teams score less.
So the question is, have we gone too far? Have we moved to the Land of Diminishing Returns?
Well, I certainly believe that we have. When you start stacking up 40-homer men who drive in less than 100 runs each, you’ve gone too far.
When the defense start shifting against you and you can’t defeat it with the bunt or by just making late contact to roll the ball the other way, you’ve gone too far.
We have gone too far.
I am asked sometimes, “What is the undervalued skill in baseball today? What is the thing that teams don’t value properly, in 2016 major league baseball?” It’s this. It’s contact hitting. That’s what I believe.
I suspect this is why the Royals have done so well the last two years.
from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/1OAsclU
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