Especially as HRs are receding back to the normal water-line instead of the 90s floodwaters.
2011 (so far): 14 players with 30 or more, 3 with 35 or more.
2010: 18 players with 30 or more, 6 with 35 or more.
2009: 30 players with 30, 13 with 35
2008: 28 players with 30, 11 with 35
...
2000: 47 with 30, 27 with 35
1999: 45 with 30, 24 with 35
If anyone's remembering a decade or so ago and thinking that's representative of our power expectations going forward...it isn't.
Many teams won't have a guy with 30 HRs, and only a handful will have a 35 HR man on the squad.
Justin's job is not to hit 35 HRs. His job is to log XBHs, get on base and drive in runs. He still looks like a 30 HR / 30 2B bat in his prime to me (of which there were 32 in 2000 but just 14 last year), but if he was 25 / 25? There were only 35 of THOSE last season.
25/25 is the new (old?) 30/30. Adjust expectations. :) Eddie Murray's power lines would look stellar on Smoak.
And this is why I'm on the Fielder bandwagon, btw. If power is getting scarcer then guys who have it are worth more - as I'm sure the Boras Power Presentation of Doom will indicate.
~G
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