May 28, 2019

Just Trots

Derek Dietrich hit two home runs so far tonight for the Reds to bring his season total to 16. The Reds lead Pittsburgh 10-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning. The interesting bit about Dietrich, however, is that he only collected three other extra-base hits, two doubles and a triple. So 84.2% of his extra base hits went for home runs.

In the low mound era, 1969 on, for players with at least 10 home runs in a season, the highest percentage of home runs among extra base hits belongs to Matt Olson in 2017. That season he hit 24 home runs and two doubles, 92.3% of his extra-base hits going for home runs. That beat out Mark McGwire, who hit 29 home runs with four doubles in 2001.

White Dietrich is extreme, he does not have the highest percentage this season among batters with at least 10 homers. Tommy La Stella hit 12 homers and two doubles for 85.7%. Gary Sanchez went deep tonight and 17 of his 20 extra base hits went for homers, 85%. Michael Chavis is 10 for 12, and Khris Davis is 12 for 15. It seems like this group doesn’t hit many wall scrapers. The ball is gone or nothing.

Update: Dietrich hit a third home run in the game, bringing his season total to 17, matching Gary Sanchez.

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