Tom Brennan - Strikeout Nation

THERE'S NO LUCKY STRIKES THESE DAYS. THEY'RE ALL WELL EARNED.

We live in a strike out age - this group strikes out at that group, that groups strikes out at this group, and on and on.

In baseball, strikeouts are at extreme levels.

In the major leagues through April 21, there had already been 5,909 strikeouts.  

Divide the total major league at bat numbers by about 40 through that date, and you get close to what would be an average full season: 562 at bats, 58 walks, and 148 Ks.  

But, of course, without all those Ks, there wouldn't have been 891 homers through April 21.

That is more than double the rate of homers per game as in 1969, when in about the same number of plate appearances as noted above, hitters were on pace for just 96 Ks.  

And all AL pitchers were still hitting then, with the DH only starting in 1973, so even with all the AL pitchers' strikeouts included, the average Ks were just 96, versus 148 Ks in today's game.  

Lots and lots more fanning, and lots more long balls.

It seems like the trend is to ever more strikeouts.  

Even in the minors.

Through Monday, the Eastern League AA teams, for example, had 5,954 official at bats, 632 walks and 1,689 Ks.

In a league where pitchers do not hit, and thus do not strike out, that is the equivalent of the average hitter, over a full major league equivalent length season, of having 595 at bats, 63 walks - and 169 strikeouts.  Just divide by ten like I did, dear readers.  You can do the math.

The Ks are apparently here to stay - not enough contact guys like Jeff McNeil - so get used to a ton of Ks in baseball.  It clearly is not changing.