Half-way through the 2019 season, teams are hitting 1.37 homers per game, more than any other season in history
SOME SAY it was the season that saved baseball. In 1998 Mark McGwire, a first baseman for the St Louis Cardinals, and Sammy Sosa, a right-fielder for the Chicago Cubs, raced to break the single-season home run record of 61 set by Roger Maris of the New York Yankees in 1961. The battle, which ended with Mr McGwire slugging 70 homers and Mr Sosa belting 66, gripped the nation.
The players who dominated during the home-run chase of 1998 have all since retired . But the much-beloved home run is making a comeback. In 2017 Major League Baseball players slugged 6,105 home runs, or 1.26 home runs per team each game. In 2018 clubs hit 1.15 per outing. Half-way through the 2019 season, they are hitting 1.37 dingers per game, more than in any other season in history.MLB’s annual Home Run Derby, which takes place on July 8th in Cleveland, could prove similarly historic.
What explains the recent explosion in home runs? Instead of a few superstars hitting 60 or more homers a season, more players are hitting in the 20-to-40 range, driving up the total number of home runs hit per season. Some argue that better data are helping batters adjust their approach at the plate. Others wonder if performance-enhancing drugs are making a comeback, despite a rigorous testing regime. Still others point to the baseball itself.
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