Drug crackdown, young talent leading to Year of the Pitcher

[Cowperson]

Great look at the factors returning MLB pitching statistics back to their historic norms. The drug crackdown is likely the most important thing but so is the fact pitchers are facing smaller batters, resulting in their own confidence rising again.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_...NY4BgOMgELGxNN

Great to see. The roughly 10 year period of the mid-90's to the mid-2000's will prove to be one of the most shameful and statistically irrelevant in major league history.

Cowperson

[HotHotHeat]

Isn't there also a spike in the number of home runs being hit this year?

Odd year in baseball.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

Isn't there also a spike in the number of home runs being hit this year?

Odd year in baseball.

I thought home runs were down overall. Homers are up for the Jays so far.

[Resolute 14]

We'll have to wait a few years before we can really know if the decline in offence is related to the crackdowns or if it is simply a blip. 1987 is well remembered for the juiced ball and the power surge experienced then, but things leveled off for a bit.

[troutman]

Did expansion also contribute to worse pitching?

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by troutman

Did expansion also contribute to worse pitching?

Possibly.

Like hockey, I would think most sports would see offensive statistics rising in the face of dilution of talent as the most competent players take advantage of those who would otherwise be in the minors.

Similarly, you haven't expanded in baseball for a while now while, like hockey, the global pool of talent is persistently expanding, meaning you have likely had the opposite of dilution in the last 10 years or so.

Hence the article talking of the plethora of dominating young pitchers and, more obviously, the return of statistics to the historic norm.

Cowperson

[evman150]

Don't kid yourselves, it's all roids, and lack thereof.

Pretty much nothing at all to do with expansion. There were teams added throughout baseball history and then suddenly the spike from 26 to 28 teams in 1993 changed everything? Don't think so.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by evman150

Don't kid yourselves, it's all roids, and lack thereof.

Pretty much nothing at all to do with expansion. There were teams added throughout baseball history and then suddenly the spike from 26 to 28 teams in 1993 changed everything? Don't think so.

In 1993, COL and FLA were added.

In 1998, AZ and TB were added.