Will There Ever Be another .400 hitter?

[Taz]

It has been over 70 years since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941 - the last man to finish with a .400 season average.

 

 

Will this feat ever be repeated? Has the modern game made this figure impossible? If it were to be done, what is the 'x' factor that no other major league hitter has failed to find ever since to replicate this?

[Emmz]

Hmm, very difficult, but people have come close. Joe Mauer was hitting well over .400 late into the season in 2009. I've never seen anyone that hot in my life, or even close, for that long. I remember when he hit like 11 homers in his first month back, then he didn't hit one for a couple weeks and everyone thought he'd finish with about 15-20. I alwayd thought he'd push 30, he was stroking the ball so well even when he wasn't hitting bombs. Of course, he hit 28.

 

I'm not sure we'll ever see a .400 hitter again, very difficult to be that hot for so long.

[Youk Of The Nation]

My shameless homerism makes me want to say that Dustin Pedroia might be able to do it. But no, I don't think it will ever happen again. Much like 30-win pitchers, the 56-game hit streak, and Ripken's consecutive games streak, I think .400 is a thing of the past. Todd Helton might have been able to do it a decade or so ago, but I don't see it ever happening.

[Taz]

Is it the quality of pitching has improved over the decades, or that Williams completed the feat before there was integration and the overall standard rose accordingly? If this is the case, then surely the overall standard of hitters should have equally of this level, no?

 

Noting those that achieved the feat in the 20th century, it is interesting to note that when the 'dead ball' era came to a close and (dare I say it) Ruth started clobbering, which lead to so many others swinging for the fence, that there were fewer that were able to hit at such a clip that is needed to maintain a .400 average?

 

Is everything, including average, now all secondary to the ability to hit bombs?

[jacksonianmarch]

The only guy I think might be able to do it is Trout. You need speed, contact, a good eye and some power

[watsonrom]

Yeah, Trout is already leading the league in BA and WAR as a 20 year old.

[Palodios]

The best Barry Bonds ever did was .370. I think that says a good deal about the chance of it ever happening again.

 

Mccutchen is hitting .374, but his BABIP is monstrous. I just don't see it happening.

[jacksonianmarch]

In order to hit .400, your BABIP has to be monstrous

[Palodios]

In order to hit .400' date=' your BABIP has to be monstrous[/quote']

 

Right, but my point is that it doesn't bode well for him to hit even better.

[italstallianion]

Unless the game changes to favor offense, I don't see it happening for a long time...unless in a video game.

[ellsburyforMVP]

Unless the game changes to favor offense' date=' I don't see it happening for a long time...unless in a video game.[/quote']

 

I'm hitting .547 with 56 hr and 156 RBI at the all star break in MLB2k12?

[mvp 78]

It'll happen someday. People have gotten close (Gwynn, Brett, etc). No reason it couldn't happen. I think all the scouting will make it less likely, but it'll happen eventually.

[italstallianion]

I'm hitting .547 with 56 hr and 156 RBI at the all star break in MLB2k12?

 

Raise the avg a bit and that'd match my RTTS player.

[BillBuckner]

George Brett was discussing this at the All Star Game. Nomar was with him as well, there most likely will not ever ever ever be another .400 hitter. Brett claimed that he believes with the evolution of the game and some other ******** to make him sound smart, that it wont be done again. I couldn't agree more...good thing we have teddy.

[redsoxbeatz]

How many years of baseball left? Like... 100s? I'm sure it'll happen unless nuclear world war 3 comes first and America & it's baseball parks burn. Hopefully it's for the Red Sox.

[redsoxbeatz]

I'm hitting .547 with 56 hr and 156 RBI at the all star break in MLB2k12?

 

Try playing The Show.

[SCM33]

The only guy I think might be able to do it is Trout. You need speed' date=' contact, a good eye and some power[/quote']

 

Ted Williams said that they only guy he thought had the ability to do it before his death was Nomar Garciapparra.

 

In his prime he had an uncanny ability to square the ball up and spray line drives all over the field.

 

He had the speed, contact, hand eye coordination and power to do it.

 

....then he got hit by that up and in fastball in 2001 by Al Reyes, and it was all she wrote.

 

He was the BEST of the trio before that happened. He was an all time great before that happened.

[YAZMAN]

Is it the quality of pitching has improved over the decades, or that Williams completed the feat before there was integration and the overall standard rose accordingly? If this is the case, then surely the overall standard of hitters should have equally of this level, no?

 

Noting those that achieved the feat in the 20th century, it is interesting to note that when the 'dead ball' era came to a close and (dare I say it) Ruth started clobbering, which lead to so many others swinging for the fence, that there were fewer that were able to hit at such a clip that is needed to maintain a .400 average?

 

Is everything, including average, now all secondary to the ability to hit bombs?

 

It's not just the quality of pitching, it's the evolution of pitching strategy. You have one inning closers, setup men, and one AB substitutions during pitching transitions. Nobody goes much past 100 pitches, guys are pulled before they're out of gas, I think it has more to do with pitching than hitting.

[circus catch]

How many years of baseball left? Like... 100s? I'm sure it'll happen unless nuclear world war 3 comes first and America & it's baseball parks burn. Hopefully it's for the Red Sox.

 

Agreed! Granted, Ted didn't play much against minorities, or modern bullpens, and probably not nearly as many night games, but guys have come reasonably close. The one I remember as closest was Brett, who was injured but still had enough at bats in August with I think a .390 average. And that wasn't a hitter's age either.

 

The game will change and change, and circumstances will arise that will make it possible again.

[circus catch]

Ten hitters have hit .370 or better since Ted - Musial, Carew, Galarraga, Gwynn twice, Larry Walker, Helton, Nomah, Bonds, Ichiro, and now possibly McCutchen. Carew tops the list at .388. That's real close.

 

I would guess that someone like Ichiro, focused on putting the ball in play and using his speed, with maybe more patience, would have the best chance.