{"id":28242,"date":"2014-07-06T19:58:33","date_gmt":"2014-07-06T23:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seamheads.com\/?p=28242"},"modified":"2014-07-06T19:58:33","modified_gmt":"2014-07-06T23:58:33","slug":"where-have-all-the-hitters-gone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/06\/where-have-all-the-hitters-gone\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Have All the Hitters Gone?"},"content":{"rendered":"

With major league teams reaching the season’s mid-point by playing their 81st<\/sup> game of the season, it’s a good time to take a look at hitters that are on target for the triple milestones of a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 RBIs and pitchers on target for 20 wins, 200 strikeouts and an ERA below 3.00.<\/p>\n

Times have changed.  In 2000, 26 hitters achieved all three triple milestones but no pitchers achieved all three of their milestones.  Last year only three hitters and one pitcher (Max Scherzer) reached all three.  Similar numbers are being recorded at mid-season in 2014 with 3 hitters and 2 pitchers on target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Hitters<\/strong><\/td>\nBAVG-HR-RBI<\/strong><\/td>\nComments<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Victor Martinez<\/strong><\/td>\n.328-20-52<\/td>\nHas never done it before<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mike Trout<\/strong><\/td>\n.313-18-59<\/td>\nAnother potential first timer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Giancarlo Stanton<\/strong><\/td>\n .312-21-59<\/td>\nAnd another newcomer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Several others are close:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Troy Tulozwitzski<\/td>\n.351-18-55<\/td>\nShort on RBIs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Miguel Cabrera<\/td>\n.321-13-64<\/td>\nGoing for no. 8. Needs home runs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jose Batista<\/td>\n.305-15-49<\/td>\nShould make it if healthy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Adam Jones<\/td>\n.302-14-47<\/td>\nNeeds strong second half<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Paul Goldschmidt<\/td>\n.299-15-53<\/td>\nMade it last year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nelson Cruz<\/td>\n.289-25-66<\/td>\nBatting average an issue<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

And then there are the pitchers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Pitcher<\/strong><\/td>\nWins-K’s-ERA<\/strong><\/td>\nComments<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Masihiro Tanaka<\/strong><\/td>\n11-119-2.11<\/td>\nRookie sensation from Japan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Adam Wainwright<\/strong><\/td>\n10-105-2.01<\/td>\nCame close in 2013<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Others who could make it with more wins:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Felix Hernandez<\/td>\n9-128-2.24<\/td>\nHas never won 20 games<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zach Greinke<\/td>\n9-101-2.29<\/td>\nWould be his first time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Madison Bumgardner<\/td>\n9-114-2.90<\/td>\nAnother first timer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clayton Kershaw<\/td>\n8-94-=2.24<\/td>\nDid it in 2012<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Johnny Cueto<\/td>\n8-122-1.82<\/td>\nA career year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yu Darvish<\/td>\n7-118-2.62<\/td>\n20 wins is a reach<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Julio Teheran<\/td>\n7-103-2.34<\/td>\nThe ace of the Braves staff<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The most difficult targets to hit are the .300 batting average for hitters and wins for pitchers. There are reasons for both.  Hitters are now generally more inclined to go for power rather than average which results in more strikeouts and lower batting averages.  Most analysts would agree that we are in a strong pitching era.  However, pitcher’s wins are frequently not necessarily controllable by the starting pitcher, especially if he pitches only 6 or 7 innings which is now frequently the case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With major league teams reaching the season’s mid-point by playing their 81st game of the season, it’s a good time to take a look at hitters that are on target for the triple milestones of a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 RBIs and pitchers on target for 20 wins, 200 strikeouts and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t