2016 Power Surge

[King of Queens]

As of today (approximately 35% of season complete), there are a total of 57 MLB players that have amassed double-digit home runs. Looks like there will be a huge increase from 2015, when only 20 players finished with 30 or more homers.

Any theories as to what is causing the surge?

[Quahogs]

__

[Edwards Kings]

Imagine my surprise when I looked and saw the Braves were not even in the Top 10 for staffs allowing homeruns or even BAA. I will judicially ignore the fact that they are however 8th in runs allowed and tied for 7th in BB allowed.

[King of Queens]

Teams without a 10+ HR hitter:

Atlanta Braves
Pittsburgh Pirates
San Francisco Giants

[CC's Desperados]

Tom Brady's ball boy has found a new job.

[lrr]

1. Average batting average in 2016 is .252; I think it's the lowest ever. Batters swinging with their eyes closed. All or nothing. Hitters paid for hitting home runs.

2. Fences brought in in Miami.

3. Jered Weaver still pitching.

[King of Queens]

And so it continues...

[Rainiers]

And so it continues...

Spot-on observation. The home run rate is not just going up, it's skyrocketing. In just the last three years, home rates per game have gone from .86 to 1.01 to 1.16 this year. The highest total all-time was in 2000 when 1.17 home runs per game were hit.

Could it be the baseball being manufactured differently?

[Gekko]

Of course the balls are manufactured differently this year. Great news if u are a hitter free agent to be. Very bad news for free agent SP to be

MLB needed to generate more offense (for fan base) to keep revenues pouring in. MLB just made a steroid ball because they can't have steroid ball players any more. MLB should be suspended. Assholes

[Deadheadz]

.

I was under the impression the power surge can be traced to agents telling their clients to screw BA, ignore strikeouts and maximize your next contract by piling up the slugging and HR.

When the current TV deal expires there will be less money to go around so lock in your deal now.

Am I wrong?


.

[Gekko]

YES

[Rainiers]

Here is a great article on the hypothesis that a juiced ball is behind the home run surge that has been occurring since August of 2015. By Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports. Within it he references a story by Ken Rosenthal that says Rob Manfred and MLB were looking into boosting offense, including tighter-wound baseballs earlier in the year.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/10-degrees ... soc_trk=ma


Sent from my iPhone

[ToddZ]

Very math intense...

http://www.hardballtimes.com/exit-speed-and-home-runs/