There are two weeks left in the 2019 Major League Baseball season and the league has already broken a big record. On Wednesday night, Johnathan Villar of the Baltimore Orioles hit a home run and it was the 6,106th of the year — the most for any season in league history. The interesting thing about this is the previous record of 6,105 was set in 2017, so it’s clear more and more baseball players are trying to hit home runs instead of hitting for contact.
“It’s no secret what is going on here,” CBS Sports reported. “Yes, the players are trying to launch and drive the ball instead of choking up just to put it in play with two strikes and yes, pitchers throw harder than ever, but it’s the baseball. The balls are slippery and don’t have raised seams, creating less drag on fly balls, meaning more carry.”
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The report also took a look at top home-run seasons and MLB history and all five seasons were in this century. Behind the 2019 and 2017 seasons is 2000 with 5,693. There were 5,610 home runs hit in 2016 and behind that season is 2018 with 5,585.
With the league setting the record of home runs hit in a season, teams are setting records as well. CBS further reports the Minnesota Twins had 275 homers as of Tuesday morning which is an all-time record. But the new record is 276 by the New York Yankees on Tuesday. Behind the Twins and the Yankees is the Los Angeles Dodgers as they have hit 258 followed by the Houston Astros with 250. Then it’s the Atlanta Braves and the Oakland A’s with 230, the Boston Red Sox 226 and the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers with 224 as of Tuesday.
Because Villar was the one to hit the record-breaking home run, the Hall of Fame has requested his bat.
“That’s not every day that happens, that only happens one time,” he said via MLB.com. “I feel excited because that’s very important, not only for me but for the team. My bat is going to the Hall of Fame. … I am going to have that my whole career. That’s unbelievable!”
With the playoffs right around the corner, we could see quite a few homers in the final games of the regular season. And if that happens, we could be in for a very exciting postseason.
