Let me be very clear: This doesn’t matter. What I’m about to point out you is small pattern dimension theater. It’s not statistically important. It has no bearing on what’s really going to occur within the World Sequence. We’re right here for a enjoyable reality quite than a studying alternative. Are all of us in settlement? Okay, then let me present you one thing wild. Listed here are Aaron Decide’s profession numbers towards the Los Angeles Dodgers.
These Are Some Humongous Numbers, My Pals
| PA | HR | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 8 | .389 | .463 | 1.111 | 1.575 | .621 | 312 |
So, uh, yeah. A .389 batting common is sweet. A slugging share within the hundreds is sweet. A wRC+ over 300 can also be good. Simply in case you have been questioning how good these numbers are, right here’s a desk that reveals the perfect profession numbers towards the Dodgers, minimal 40 plate appearances, courtesy of our splits leaderboard.
Splits Leaders Towards the Dodgers (Min. 40 PA)
As you may need seen, the leaderboard solely goes again to 2002, so all we are able to say for positive is that Decide’s numbers are the perfect of the previous 22 years. Let’s enterprise over to Stathead, the place we are able to take a look at OPS going all the way in which again to 1900. This time, we’ll use a minimal of 30 PAs.
All-Time Dodger Destroyers (Min. 30 PA)
| Participant | From | To | PA | HR | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Decide | 2016 | 2024 | 41 | 8 | .389 | .463 | 1.111 | 1.575 |
| Frank Thomas | 2003 | 2007 | 35 | 4 | .357 | .486 | .857 | 1.343 |
| Nick Johnson | 2005 | 2009 | 60 | 5 | .415 | .483 | .793 | 1.276 |
| Joe Mauer | 2005 | 2017 | 61 | 0 | .529 | .590 | .667 | 1.257 |
| Cody Bellinger | 2023 | 2024 | 58 | 6 | .326 | .466 | .783 | 1.248 |
| Edgar Martínez | 1997 | 2001 | 39 | 1 | .423 | .590 | .654 | 1.244 |
| Tripp Sigman | 1929 | 1930 | 38 | 2 | .438 | .526 | .688 | 1.214 |
| Delmon Younger | 2007 | 2013 | 30 | 1 | .500 | .533 | .643 | 1.176 |
| Brad Fullmer | 1998 | 2003 | 83 | 6 | .356 | .434 | .726 | 1.160 |
| Jimmy Outlaw | 1937 | 1939 | 30 | 0 | .517 | .533 | .621 | 1.154 |
SOURCE: Stathead
So yeah, we are able to truthfully say that Decide is the best hitter of all time towards the Dodgers, and it’s not remotely shut. We should always nonetheless give a pair main caveats, although. To start with, the numbers above are only for the common season, as a result of that’s how Stathead’s break up searches work. Second, there’s a motive eight of the ten names on this listing belong to gamers from this century: Again when there have been fewer groups, gamers confronted every crew much more typically, and numbers like these are unattainable to maintain over numerous plate appearances (except you’re Gary Sheffield, who in some way had a 1.093 OPS towards the Dodgers over 318 PAs). Decide has solely performed 10 video games towards the Dodgers.
That mentioned, it’s not like Decide is hanging on by the pores and skin of his tooth right here. He’s acquired greater than 230 factors of OPS on the Corridor of Famer in second place! If he have been to strike out six occasions in a row the following time he faces the Dodgers within the common season, his OPS would nonetheless prime the listing. I do know that 30 PAs is a small pattern dimension, however Decide would nonetheless be in first place if we dropped the minimal to 25. Or to twenty. Even if you happen to drop the minimal to simply 15 plate appearances, Decide nonetheless has the very best OPS of all time by a margin of almost 100 factors. It’s not like he’s wildly overperforming his peripherals both; within the Statcast period, his .582 xwOBA is the very best of any batter, as is his 65.2% hard-hit charge (minimal 25 PAs).
As soon as once more, none of this issues. It’s a statistical fluke. The numbers are tiny, and except there’s a sweep, Decide will almost double the pattern dimension in the course of the World Sequence. If he comes wherever near replicating these numbers, it should represent the best World Sequence efficiency of all time. The Dodgers pitchers Decide has confronted most frequently are Tyler Glasnow and Joe Kelly, neither of whom will probably be taking part in within the World Sequence. He’s by no means confronted Jack Flaherty in any respect. In addition to, the Dodgers aren’t even the crew that Decide has hit the perfect. With a 381 wRC+, he’s additionally the best hitter ever towards the Giants. No surprise they tried so onerous to signal him and his brother Arson.
Over the course of his profession, Decide has a 173 profession wRC+. That’s the third-highest mark in AL/NL historical past, behind Babe Ruth (194) and Ted Williams (187) and simply forward of Bonds. After all one of many biggest hitters within the historical past of the sport goes to be the best towards a few groups. Simply to hammer that time house, Decide got here into the ALDS with a 159 profession wRC+ towards the Guardians, and he ended up going 3-for-18 within the collection. That is no assure of something. However it’s fairly enjoyable, proper?