MLB on Pace for More Strikeouts Than Hits for First Time in History

Entering play on Wednesday, Major League Baseball is on pace to have more strikeouts than hits this season.

If the numbers hold – which would result in 18,613 of the former and 18,136 of the latter – it would be the first time in MLB history more batters have struck out than hit safely over the course of a season.

Things are so bad that 41 position players who appeared in Tuesday night’s games were batting .200 or below.

In fact, 34 percent of plate appearances now result in a strikeout, walk or home run, a dynamic that results in fielders only currently being involved in about two-thirds of all plays.

Though the increase in strikeouts and decrease in hits has hurt the amount of action during games, it hasn’t hurt teams in the standings.

Consider: the Arizona Diamondbacks have the lowest batting average (.227) in all of baseball yet they’re in first place in the NL West. In the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers have the top spot despite being shut out a major-league-leading 10 times.

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Evan Bleier

Evan is a senior editor with InsideHook who earned a master’s degree in journalism from NYU and has called Brooklyn home since 2006. A fan of Boston sports, Nashville hot chicken and Kentucky bourbon, Evan has had his work published in publications including “Maxim,” Bleacher Report and “The Daily Mail.”