Once upon a time, batting .400 was something magical. Now, most batters are lucky to hit .300, says Bill Shaikin at the Los Angeles Times. In fact, the only National League hitter batting at .300 or above is Freddie Freeman, who sits just over the line at .302. What gives?
“The pitching is just too good. It’s hard to combat,” Freeman said. “My whole goal every year is to hit .300. It’s getting harder and harder.”
That goal might just be enough, as Freeman is now in the batting title conversation. Last
year’s winner, Luis Arraez, won with a .314 batting average, a drop from Freeman’s own winning average of .331 in 2023.
Only one other player—Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox—has won a batting championship with a lower average. Yaz did it with a .301 year in 1968 (the first with a shorter pitcher’s mound, coincidentally).
Pitchers aren’t the only ones changing. There’s a stronger emphasis these days on hitting homers and getting on base, chasing a better on-base percentage rather than a batting average.
“Batting average isn’t valued as much — until you get to the postseason,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Then you want guys that can get hits and drive in runs, right?”
Dodgers Notes
Clayton Kershaw felt that he didn’t have his best stuff in his last start, but he still looked as sharp as ever, writes Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider. This August has been particularly great for Kersh, who went 5-0 for the first month since June 2017.
The Dodgers are comfortable with their six-man rotation and plan to stick with it until the playoffs require cuts, writes Doug Padilla at the Orange County Register. Emmet Sheehan is likely to get dropped during the playoffs despite his recent performance, according to Padilla, and deciding who else to remove for the required four-man system will be a tough decision.
Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates was sidelined for more than two weeks because of blood clots in his left leg but is now back with the team, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Although Bates said the health scare changed his perspective a little bit, he remained an active member of the Dodgers’ staff during his recovery, sending notes as he watched games from home.
