Cy Morong looks at strikeout rates with men on third and less than two out versus the overall strikeout rate. The AL is here, the NL is here. Note that when strikeout rates were low, there was not much of a difference. As strikeouts became more ubiquitous batters started working harder to put the ball in play. The ratio between the two measures shows a slow but steady drop over the last 30 years.