[DC 86]

Teams aren’t built to play small ball and string hits. Swings aren’t geared for that.  MLB is going to have to figure this out.  It’s not just the ball and/or humidor.  It’s shifts, 6 pitchers a night, Three True Outcomes. Is there such a thing as  a contact hitter any.more?

As a general trend (over the last decade or two) it's all those things, but the extreme dropoff from last season compared to the first month of this season (and even more extreme, comparing 2019 to 2022) is because of the ball. The other things (shifts, reliever use, pitching velocity, hitter approach) weren't suddenly introduced this month.

Last season league-wide hitting was 244/317/411 (.728 ops), as of this morning this season it's 232/306/368 (.675 ops). 43 point drop in slugging percentage.

[DC 86]

Teams aren’t built to play small ball and string hits. Swings aren’t geared for that.  MLB is going to have to figure this out.  It’s not just the ball and/or humidor.  It’s shifts, 6 pitchers a night, Three True Outcomes. Is there such a thing as  a contact hitter any.more?

As a general trend (over the last decade or two) it's all those things, but the extreme dropoff from last season compared to the first month of this season (and even more extreme, comparing 2019 to 2022) is because of the ball. The other things (shifts, reliever use, pitching velocity, hitter approach) weren't suddenly introduced this month.

Last season league-wide hitting was 244/317/411 (.728 ops), as of this morning this season it's 232/306/368 (.675 ops). 43 point drop in slugging percentage.