MLB records: Baseball striking out at a record pace
For a number of years, the strikeout rate in the major leagues has been on the rise. In two days, MLB records may fall!
With two days worth of games to complete, MLB records could fall over the next two days in the increasing environment of strikeouts in the game of baseball.
MLB records #1 – Most strikeouts in a single month
The increase in strikeouts is evident in the top months in history on the MLB records list for most strikeouts in a single month in the league. By nature, September/October and March/April would have some level of an advantage as they can often have 3-5 days of games more than any other month by adding in the few days of the other month.
The other advantage that September/October would have over other months is the addition of extra players who would likely otherwise not be in a lineup other months of the year due to roster expansion after September 1. This places a number of fresh rookies into the league that often swing and miss plenty along with plenty of hard-throwing arms looking to air out over the last month to impress their teams for the following season.
That leaves it no surprise that the top four months all-time in MLB records for strikeouts in a month are all September/October months, with 2015 the highest total with 7,531 strikeouts. Through Saturday’s games, March/April of 2018 has 6,636 strikeouts, ranking 10th all-time in total strikeouts across the league for a month.
At the rate of ~214 strikeouts per day and 2 more days of play, this month will be hard-pressed to reach the top of MLB records in strikeouts for a month. However, it could become just the 5th ever to reach 7,000 strikeouts in a month, and at that pace, the month would finish with 7,063, placing 5th by only 7 total strikeouts. Bumping that average just up to 275 strikeouts (a significant bump, but only an average of one strikeout more per team per game over the next two days than their pace thus far), this month would easily move to 3rd on the list and have a chance for 2nd.
MLB records #2: More strikeouts in a month than hits
There is one thing you won’t find among the MLB records for strikeouts in a month – a month when hitters struck out more than they collected hits. This month could change all of that.
Currently, with just two more days left in the month to add to the tally (numbers through Saturday), the game has seen 6,635 strikeouts and 6,265 hits. That does not seem like a huge deficit to overcome in two days, but crunching the numbers reveals we’re nearly assured of adding a new line to MLB records for league-wise monthly strikeouts.
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Major league hitters have averaged roughly 202 hits per day over the month. They have been striking out at a rate of roughly 214 per day over the month. Even if they would eliminate nearly 200 strikeouts per day, and add just 20 strikeouts per day while staying at their same pace of hits, the month would still fall short (6,675 strikeouts to 6,669 hits).
Current projections with current pace would put the month finishing at 7,063 strikeouts and 6,669 hits. However, the weather has warmed up significantly, so teams are averaging more hits per day recently. Over the last week, the league has averaged roughly 17.25 hits per game. Between Sunday and Monday, there are 26 games scheduled. Assuming no rainouts either day, that would be roughly 449 hits.
If 449 hits were executed over the next two days, to avoid having more strikeouts than hits on the month for the first time in major league history and adding a new dubious line to MLB records, only 79 total strikeouts could occur those two days, meaning just 3 strikeouts per game total could occur. Needless to say, it’s highly unlikely.
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With some other MLB records to fall this month (most weather-related cancellations in one month has already been achieved, for instance), this has certainly been a historic month in the game of baseball!