Scoring in the first half of the major-league season dropped to its lowest level in 19 years, and the batting average shrunk to its smallest midseason figure since 1985, confirmation that the steroids era has ended and that a new age of the pitcher is taking hold.
There were 8.4 runs per game before the All-Star break, according to STATS LLC, down 6 percent from last year's 8.9 at the midpoint and 20 percent from the peak of 10.5 in 2000.
"The pitchers in the National League — it's crazy," San Francisco's Pedro Sandoval said. "We've got Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee."
It's not only scoring that's decreased. Many offensive measures dipped during the first three months of the regular season.
The major-league batting average of .253 was down from .259 at last year's All-Star break. It hasn't been this low at midseason in 26 years, since it sunk to .252 in 1985. Twelve years ago, at the height of the steroids era, it rose to .273.
Hits per game dropped to 17.2 from 17.6 last year, down from 18.8 in 1999 and 2000. Home runs per game declined to 1.8, down a tenth of a point from last year and 31 percent below the 2000 average of 2.6 at the break.
The major-league ERA of 3.85 is down from 4.15 during the first three months of last season and more than a run below the 4.86 ERA when players broke for the 2000 All-Star game at Atlanta's Turner Field.
"It seems like a lot of guys are throwing a lot harder these days. It seems like every team has a couple of guys throwing 100 (mph)," said slugger Carlos Quentin of the Chicago White Sox. "As a hitter, you embrace that challenge."
Hitters seem to be taking shorter strokes, not going for the fences. Strikeouts averaged 6.3 per game, down from 6.6 last year and a high of 7.7 in 2000.
"There's been a lot of young pitchers coming to the big leagues," Philadelphia's Placido Polanco said. "I think that makes a difference."
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement