Transfer over, Roger Maris: New York Yankees slugger Aaron Decide has hit his 62nd dwelling run of the 2022 MLB season, setting the single-season report for the American League.
His 62nd dwelling run — which got here off Texas Rangers righty Jesus Tinoco on Tuesday within the Yankees’ closing collection of the common season — moved him previous Maris, who held the earlier Junior Circuit report with 61 dwelling runs in 1961. Decide additionally broke Maris’ famed franchise report, beforehand held by Babe Ruth, who hit 60 in 1927. Now, Decide joins Ruth and Maris as the one AL gamers to hit 60 or extra dwelling runs in a season.
So how did he do it? Let’s break down Decide’s highway to 62.
After we all began speaking about 62
Whereas Decide’s season hasn’t precisely come out of nowhere — in any case, he did hit a then-rookie-record 52 dwelling runs in 2017 — this run to 62 wasn’t precisely anticipated, both. Whereas remaining an enormously productive hitter within the ensuing seasons, after averaging a house run each 10.42 at-bats in 2017, Decide averaged one each 14.14 at-bats from 2018 to 2021. Remaining wholesome and taking part in 148 video games in 2021, he hit 39 dwelling runs, hardly a harbinger for a historic season when you think about Brandon Lowe and Mitch Haniger additionally hit 39.
Decide additionally did not come roaring out of the gate: He hit one dwelling run in his first 13 video games. It took a while earlier than everybody realized this could possibly be a particular season. My colleague Bradford Doolittle arrange a day-by-day spreadsheet for Decide, creating estimated ranges of taking part in time and residential run share to compute a projected end-of-season dwelling run complete (differing from only a straight-up season tempo).
Decide started the season with a projected complete of 40.9 dwelling runs — which dipped to 39.5 after he went homerless in his first 5 video games. That might equal his lowest projected complete. After ending the abbreviated April schedule with six dwelling runs in 20 video games, Decide’s projected complete had climbed to 47.9. Spectacular, however he was hardly the speak of baseball but, particularly since teammate Anthony Rizzo led the majors with 9 dwelling runs in April.
Decide first reached a season tempo of fifty on Might 13 after homering towards the Chicago White Sox however went forwards and backwards between 49 and 50 for 10 days, till homering twice on Might 23 in a loss to the Baltimore Orioles, bumping his projected complete to 52.6. However he homered simply as soon as extra the remainder of the month, dropping his projection to 50.9. No person was speaking 62, though Decide’s 18 dwelling runs now topped the majors.
After belting 11 extra dwelling runs in June, Decide’s projection had climbed to 54.2 (with a straight-up tempo of 61.0). This was beginning to get attention-grabbing, however you would possibly keep in mind that Yordan Alvarez hit .418 in June, and whereas he trailed Decide by six dwelling runs, Alvarez had a a lot increased weighted runs created plus (wRC+), hitting .316/.412/.658 to Decide’s .286/.361/.627. Decide had 62 in his sights, however the debate over the very best hitter of 2022 was on.
Then got here July — or, extra particularly, a scorching streak that began simply earlier than the All-Star break and noticed Decide crack 12 dwelling runs in 14 video games by way of July 30. His projected complete was now as much as 62.0, and his straight-up tempo was a ridiculous 66.7 (and that quantity would peak Aug. 1 at 67.0).
Decide did decelerate a bit in August, and a nine-game homerless streak by way of Aug. 21 dropped his projected complete to 58.5 (with a straight-up tempo of 61.1). He then responded with one other barrage of energy in September to make historical past and be part of Ruth and Maris within the American League’s 60-homer membership.
It is attention-grabbing how Decide’s season tracks with Maris’. Not solely did Maris hit 39 dwelling runs in 1960, the yr earlier than he hit 61, he additionally began gradual in his recorded-breaking marketing campaign, with only one homer in 15 video games in April. Maris was a mannequin of consistency after that, nonetheless, with no less than 10 dwelling runs in every of the ultimate 5 months. Maris’ largest scorching streak was a stretch from Might 28 to June 22, when he hit 19 homers in 29 contests.
Ruth’s race to 60 was a bit totally different, as he hit 9 dwelling runs in every of June, July and August, earlier than ending with a flourish — 17 in 28 video games in September and October, together with seven over his closing 9 video games (together with a homerless sport within the season finale). After all, Ruth solely performed 151 video games in his 154-game schedule, main one to surprise what he might need performed with an additional eight video games.
Then once more, Ruth wasn’t seeing too many 95 mph fastballs — and Decide has hit 11 dwelling runs off pitches of no less than that pace.
Dwelling-field benefit? Hardly!
Sure, everyone knows that proper area at Yankee Stadium is a joke. There are highschool fields the place it is tougher to hit a house run to proper; at Yankee Stadium, it’s only 314 toes down the road and would not arc out as rapidly as different ballparks. And, sure, for a right-handed batter, Decide is adept at going the opposite manner, as 15 of his 62 dwelling runs went to the other area. However, no, he hasn’t actually taken huge benefit of Yankee Stadium.
On essentially the most primary degree, Decide hit 30 of his 62 dwelling runs at Yankee Stadium — one each 10 at-bats. He has hit 32 on the highway — one each 8.8 at-bats. Largely, Decide simply would not hit many low cost dwelling runs. His shortest of the season was a 355-foot shot to proper, but it surely got here at Assured Charge Discipline in Chicago. He has hit three 364-foot dwelling runs this yr at Yankee Stadium. I reviewed these three:
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April 22 off Tanner Tully: Line drive into the third row of bleachers in proper area. Not a large blast and perhaps not out at each park, however not one I name an affordable dwelling run.
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June 15 off Shane McClanahan: Simply over the fence in right-center. Positively a Yankee Stadium dwelling run given its dimensions in that space of the park.
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July 30 off Jon Heasley: One other low cost one in the identical neighborhood because the homer towards McClanahan. In actual fact, if a fan did not attain out to make the catch, Royals proper fielder MJ Melendez might need hauled it in.
So, Decide has acquired a few items from his park. However he has homered much more usually on the highway. That does not imply he would have hit this many in each park. Statcast, utilizing simply uncooked distances of his dwelling runs, estimates Decide would have simply 49 dwelling runs if he had performed all his video games at Comerica Park (the place right-center is especially deep). However he would have 70 if he performed all his video games in Cincinnati or Colorado. So no actual home-field benefit right here. Sit again and admire his feats of power.
Decide’s most useful homers
What have been Decide’s largest dwelling runs? We will rank his prime seven dwelling runs by win chance added (WPA), which merely tells us how a lot the chances of the Yankees profitable the sport modifications after every play (or, on this case, every dwelling run), given the rating, inning and variety of outs and baserunners.
1. Might 10: Stroll-off towards Jordan Romano of the Blue Jays to provide the Yankees a 6-5 victory
WPA: 0.796
Probably the most dramatic of Decide’s dwelling runs despatched Yankee Stadium right into a frenzy as he crushed a 1-2 slider into the second deck in left area within the backside of the ninth, a 414-foot blast off one of many higher closers within the sport. That kicked off a stretch of eight dwelling runs in 13 video games for Decide.
2. July 28: Stroll-off towards Scott Barlow of the Royals to provide the Yankees a 1-0 victory
WPA: 0.424
Decide’s thirty ninth dwelling run got here with one out off of a first-pitch, 95 mph fastball from Barlow, a 431-foot shot over the bullpen in heart area. This got here throughout Decide’s publish All-Star blitz.
3. June 26: Stroll-off within the backside of the tenth off Houston’s Seth Martinez to provide the Yankees a 6-3 victory
WPA: 0.360
With runners at first and third and two outs, the Astros elected to go after Decide. Martinez acquired a swinging strike on a first-pitch slider, however he got here again with one other slider — and Decide did not miss, sending a low liner over the fence in left-center. Decide almost value himself a house run, although: He began making a flip for the dugout after reaching first base, earlier than he was reminded to complete his trot across the bases.
4. Might 22: Dwelling run off Kendall Graveman of the White Sox that tied the sport 1-1 within the backside of the eighth
WPA: 0.328
Graveman tried to slide an 0-2, 97 mph sinker previous Decide however left it up within the zone, and Decide drilled into the second deck in left area (though the White Sox would win the sport with two runs within the prime of the ninth).
5. July 22: Three-run homer off Baltimore’s Tyler Wells to provide the Yankees a 3-0 lead within the third
WPA: 0.290
This one would not appear so dramatic, but it surely got here with two outs (win chance goes up) and with two runners on, that means the Yankees’ possibilities of profitable the sport elevated considerably. Decide would add a second dwelling run off Wells because the Yankees held on for a 7-6 victory.
6. Sept. 28: Go-ahead two-run homer within the prime of the seventh off Toronto’s Tim Mayza
WPA: 0.267
Decide’s record-tying 61st dwelling run of the season made an affect. At 117.4 mph, the road drive was additionally Decide’s hardest-hit dwelling run of 2022.
7. Sept. 13: Sport-tying dwelling run within the prime of the eighth off Boston’s Garrett Whitlock
WPA: 0.245
This was Decide’s second game-tying dwelling run that day, coming off a 1-1 slider that he lifted over the Inexperienced Monster. In the event you think about sport significance — mid-September, with the Tampa Bay Rays having clawed nearer to the Yankees — this dwelling run deserves a better rating. Oh, within the prime of the tenth, the Pink Sox deliberately walked Decide with a runner on third and two outs. It backfired, as Gleyber Torres would later smack a three-run double, and the Yankees received 7-6.
By the best way, common WPA for Ruth, Maris and Decide:
Ruth: 0.119
Maris: 0.132
Decide: 0.137
He hits … effectively, every part
Because of the marvels of recent pitch monitoring, we all know every part in regards to the pitcher-batter confrontation. And I imply every part. One of many coolest Statcast numbers discovered at MLB’s Baseball Savant website is how every batter fares towards totally different pitches, damaged down into total run worth produced.
The very best hitter in baseball in 2022? Aaron Decide towards sliders, with a run worth of plus-28.
The second finest? Aaron Decide towards four-seam fastballs, with a run worth of plus-26.
To point out how Decide has dominated the game, the one different hitter with a run worth over 20 towards a single pitch is Yordan Alvarez towards four-seamers, at plus-21.
Take a look at Decide’s numbers towards particular person pitches:
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1.254 OPS towards four-seamers
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1.250 OPS towards two-seamers/sinkers
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1.191 OPS towards curveballs
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1.100 OPS towards sliders
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.794 OPS towards changeups
And in restricted outcomes, an .832 OPS towards cutters and .476 towards splitters (2-for-14). Anyway: Decide is punishing every part.
His huge enchancment in 2022 has come towards sliders. From 2017 to 2021, he hit .217/.331/.408 towards them, whereas hitting over .300 towards four-seamers and two-seamers. Final season, he ranked ninetieth in run worth towards sliders at plus-3 — and as we simply noticed, he is No. 1 in 2022.
That each one provides as much as 62 dwelling runs … and a slice of baseball historical past.
