SIX MLB players who could hit .400 in 2020
Yordan Alvarez
Yordan Alvarez batted .313 as a rookie in 2019, so asking him to get to .400 is a big order. The potential, however, can’t be overlooked.
At age 23, he’s just beginning to tap into his personal learning curve. Arriving in the big leagues in June, he was hitting .363 one month into his career before falling back, although never precipitously. Alvarez batted .317 in June, .333 in July, .309 in August and .296 in September.
In his first season, Alvarez displayed some plate discipline. He drew 52 bases on balls, raising his on-base average to .412, nearly 100 points above his batting average. As previously noted, one of the key attributes of being able to hit .400 is not getting yourself out.
Alvarez still has work to do in this regard, as his 28.7 percent chase rate suggests. But he has youth on his side. He also has talent; his barrel percentage was in the 98th percentile in 2019, his exit velocity and hard-hit percentage both at the 95th percentile. Those are the hallmarks of a potentially elite hitter.
Playing half his games at Minute Maid Park, with its 105 park factor, has to help.
Were Alvarez one or two years older and with that much additional experience, his prospects of pushing .400 in a short season might be even higher. His youth might work against him. But there are reasons to not dismiss his chances.