Fansided

MLB: Strikeouts at record pace for 9th straight year

By Phil Watson

Among hitters qualified for the batting title, no one strikes out more frequently this year than Adam Dunn of the Chicago White Sox, once every 2.6 at-bats. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Among hitters qualified for the batting title, no one strikes out more frequently this year than Adam Dunn of the Chicago White Sox, once every 2.6 at-bats. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Adam Dunn has never been shy about taking a mighty rip at the baseball.
Adam Dunn has never been shy about taking a mighty rip at the baseball. /

1996-2005: On The Offensive

Home run totals were never higher than they were from 1996-2005. The single-season home run mark went down twice in this period, first by Mark McGwire in 1998 and then again by Barry Bonds in 2001.

Offense never went crazier than it did to close out the 20th century, as teams averaged more than five runs per game in both 1999 and 2000, with clubs averaging 190 home runs in 2000.

Strikeout totals spiked along with home run totals, with teams averaging more than 1,000 strikeouts a season for the first time in 1996 and continuing to do so throughout the rest of the period.

The strikeout rate reached its apex in 2001, when major-league hitters combined to fan once every 5.13 at-bats.

YEAR R/G HR SO AB/SO
1996 5.04 177 1047 5.35
1997 4.77 166 1069 5.19
1998 4.79 169 1063 5.24
1999 5.08 184 1037 5.37
2000 5.14 190 1045 5.34
2001 4.78 182 1080 5.13
2002 4.62 169 1046 5.27
2003 4.73 174 1027 5.41
2004 4.81 182 1061 5.26
2005 4.59 167 1021 5.43

The four at-bats per strikeout plateau, untouched by hitters with more than 2,500 plate appearances from 1946-55 and 1956-65, was punctured by 24 players from 1996-2005, by players as famed as Jim Thome and McGwire and by players as little known as Jose Hernandez, Brad Wilkerson and Lee Stevens.

Rk Player AB/SO G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG
1 Adam Dunn 3.0982 661 2271 420 564 127 6 158 374 462 733 .248 .383 .518
2 Jim Thome 3.2299 1389 4777 958 1347 257 17 375 1025 1070 1479 .282 .414 .578
3 Jose Hernandez 3.2680 1305 3987 548 1016 174 24 151 531 348 1220 .255 .317 .424
4 Mark McGwire 3.3132 780 2528 546 705 102 1 306 667 644 763 .279 .428 .683
5 Todd Hundley 3.3789 734 2301 326 545 106 3 152 412 332 681 .237 .335 .484
6 Ray Lankford 3.3955 990 3151 552 866 206 22 155 523 500 928 .275 .374 .502
7 Brad Wilkerson 3.4527 654 2265 369 580 149 23 83 265 377 656 .256 .365 .452
8 Pat Burrell 3.4594 850 3065 424 792 170 10 159 549 471 886 .258 .358 .476
9 Jose Canseco 3.4756 642 2346 390 602 111 2 162 456 346 675 .257 .355 .513
10 Henry Rodriguez 3.4954 672 2265 312 598 141 6 139 422 229 648 .264 .332 .516

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/23/2014.

The home run totals in this era were ridiculous, topped by Sammy Sosa’s 457, one of three players to top 400 homers in this 10-year period (Alex Rodriguez with 424 and Barry Bonds with 416 were the others).

Whereas Joe Carter led the previous 10-year period with 299 homers, 14 hitters topped the 300 mark from 1996-2005 and of that bunch, Rafael Palmeiro (one K every 6.96 at-bats) came the closest to the benchmark of seven AB/K.

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