The Guardians Refuse To Do This At The Plate
The worst thing a batter can do when they are at the plate is a strikeout. By not making contact and at least putting the ball in play, they aren't giving themselves or their team any chance to make an impact in the game.
However, that can be easier said than done. Pitchers are routinely throwing 95-mile-an-hour fastballs combined with 80-mile-an-hour curveballs or sliders. It's not easy to always get the bat on the ball.
Even though the Guardians are the youngest team in baseball, they have found a way to avoid striking out. They have the least amount of strikeouts in baseball with 702 heading into Sunday's game against the Rays. This comes out to a strikeout percentage of 18.6 percent.
The Washington Nationals are behind them with 733 strikeouts which is a 19.3 strikeout percentage.
A big part of this has to do with Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez being two of the most disciplined batters in the league. Kwan has the lowest strikeout percentage in baseball with 8.5 percent and Ramirez has the third lowest with 9.6 percent.
Having these two players at the top of your lineup is going to put a massive strain on opposing pitchers. They are either going to get on base or work the count up.
A lot of people around baseball have been asking how the Guardians have been able to stay in postseason contention despite being so young. Well, there's your answer. They give themselves a chance by not striking out and putting pressure on the defense to make plays.
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