Sarris: Would a TV host get a single hit in a full season of play?

From SABR member Eno Sarris at FanGraphs on August 30, 2017:

Admit it, you’ve wondered. Not you, the former Division I baseball player or the major leaguer who’s maybe reading this. I mean you, the former pony-league baseball kid who maybe got a cup of coffee with the varsity in a nondescript high school league: you’ve wondered if, given a full season’s chance — say, 600 plate appearances — you could get a single major league hit.

Maybe you haven’t. I certainly have. And so has MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes:

Something I mull alot: If I took a season’s worth of plate appearances in the MLB would I get a single hit? I think answer is no.

It’s easy to argue that he wouldn’t. Just making contact requires sufficient bat speed to catch up to the incoming pitch speed, and the difference between a layperson’s bat speed and a professional one is stark. I’ve linked this image recently, but this time it’s for the stats on the left. Take a look at how much faster Hunter Pence can swing a bat than I can.

Read the full article here: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/would-chris-hayes-get-a-hit-in-a-full-season-of-play/



Originally published: August 30, 2017. Last Updated: August 30, 2017.