[DC 86]

The problem is it’s impossible to know. At least some of the balls he hit that stayed in the park were hit harder as a result of PEDs, and that affects everything from the grounder that makes it past the diving shortstop and is a single instead of a groundout, to the ball hit into the gap just past the center fielder’s grasp and is a double instead of a flyout, and even the ability to just make some contact and turn a swinging strike three into a foul.

Bonds was around a .300 hitter before 1997.  From 2000 to 2004, he hit .306, .328, .370, .341, .362, when he was 36-40 years old. Hard to believe that steroids didn’t add 25 to 50 points to his batting average.

BC

It wasn't just Bonds and it definitely wasn't just PEDs, though. From 1988 through 1992 runs per game across all of MLB ranged from 4.1 up to 4.3. In 1993 the number jumped to 4.6 and then from 1994 through 2009 it ranged up to 5.1 (never below 4.6). It's not a coincidence that in 1993 MLB expanded by adding the Rockies and Marlins, and in 1998 further expanded with the Diamondbacks and Rays. So in a short period of time pitching was significantly diluted and two parks opened that were so favorable to offense that humidors were needed to suppress hitting. Furthermore, almost all the new parks that opened in this period were smaller and more offense-oriented.

So you had a perfect storm of pitchers throwing much harder due to PEDs (increasing exit velocity), hitters hitting harder due to PEDs (same), ballparks much more conducive to runs scoring (and home runs), weakened pitching staffs due to expansion and possibly a juiced up baseball. Everyone's offensive statistics were inflated, although PEDs were only one of the factors. What is noteworthy is how much better Bonds was compared to his peers. His numbers were inflated in absolute terms, but his relative dominance is still startling, playing half his games in a park that wasn't one of the hitter-biased ones.

I always found it appropriate that when Bonds hit home run #755 the pitcher was Clay Hensley, who had been suspended the year before for testing positive for steroids. That was the era and numbers were distorted as a result, but nobody came close to the combination of insane on-base percentage and power that Bonds produced.

[DC 86]

The problem is it’s impossible to know. At least some of the balls he hit that stayed in the park were hit harder as a result of PEDs, and that affects everything from the grounder that makes it past the diving shortstop and is a single instead of a groundout, to the ball hit into the gap just past the center fielder’s grasp and is a double instead of a flyout, and even the ability to just make some contact and turn a swinging strike three into a foul.

Bonds was around a .300 hitter before 1997.  From 2000 to 2004, he hit .306, .328, .370, .341, .362, when he was 36-40 years old. Hard to believe that steroids didn’t add 25 to 50 points to his batting average.

BC

It wasn't just Bonds and it definitely wasn't just PEDs, though. From 1988 through 1992 runs per game across all of MLB ranged from 4.1 up to 4.3. In 1993 the number jumped to 4.6 and then from 1994 through 2009 it ranged up to 5.1 (never below 4.6). It's not a coincidence that in 1993 MLB expanded by adding the Rockies and Marlins, and in 1998 further expanded with the Diamondbacks and Rays. So in a short period of time pitching was significantly diluted and two parks opened that were so favorable to offense that humidors were needed to suppress hitting. Furthermore, almost all the new parks that opened in this period were smaller and more offense-oriented.

So you had a perfect storm of pitchers throwing much harder due to PEDs (increasing exit velocity), hitters hitting harder due to PEDs (same), ballparks much more conducive to runs scoring (and home runs), weakened pitching staffs due to expansion and possibly a juiced up baseball. Everyone's offensive statistics were inflated, although PEDs were only one of the factors. What is noteworthy is how much better Bonds was compared to his peers. His numbers were inflated in absolute terms, but his relative dominance is still startling, playing half his games in a park that wasn't one of the hitter-biased ones.

I always found it appropriate that when Bonds hit home run #755 the pitcher was Clay Hensley, who had been suspended the year before for testing positive for steroids. That was the era and numbers were distorted as a result, but nobody came close to the combination of insane on-base percentage and power that Bonds produced.