Hitting trends dictate that most MLB batters will produce the most by hitting the ball hard and in the air.
It’s actually not that recent, but it still works for power hitting.
Power hitting means more home runs, and more home runs mean more potential earnings.
It’s as simple as that.
Now, most sluggers are pull hitters because it’s how their swings are geared.
On a baseball field, it’s easier to hit the ball out if it is hit to left or right field, and the closest to the foul poles, the better.
Center field is way, way longer.
It’s much easier to pull a fly ball than trying to hit it to the other way with power.
This is something that only the most special hitters can consistently do: Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Shohei Ohtani are good examples.
For the rest of the hitters, pulling the ball with authority is the easiest path towards knocking it out.
This is becoming a trend in MLB.
MLB opposite field home runs:
2019 ————> 1,087
2021 ——–> 806
2022 ——> 605 pic.twitter.com/3W1lpRBIfV— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) December 31, 2022
The number of opposite-field home runs decreased considerably in 2022, at least in comparison to 2021 and 2019.
The 2020 season is not included because every team played only 60 games.
The league still has several stars capable of hitting dingers to every part of the field, but each season, more and more batters are trying to pull their fly balls.
As long as that approach yields results, it probably won’t change.
One thing is certain: there is nothing more aesthetically pleasing than a well-hit, opposite field home run.
NEXT: MLB Fans Celebrate A Superstar's Birthday