Baseball’s New Low

MLB went to a 162 game schedule in 1961 and no one has hit this poorly until now.

Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles posted the lowest batting average of all time for qualified hitters in the modern era. (Yes that sounds like asterisks over asterisks.) In a 162 game season, a player must come to the plate at least 502 times to qualify for a batting title. 502 times because that comes out to an average of 3.1 plate appearances a game which is pretty normal.

Since 1961 when the league went to a 162 game schedule, Chis Davis, is now the owner of the worst batting average of all-time. Davis (an all-star in 2013) hit an abysmal .168 in 122 games and 522 plate appearances. Davis shattered the previous mark of a batting average for a player with over 500 plate appearances which was .200 set in 1968. (Don Wert of the Tigers.)

There is a difference between plate appearances and at-bats. You can reach base that doesn't count as an at-bat. Walks and sacrafices don't count as an at-bat but it does count as a plate appearance. A player could have 5 plate appearances but can go 3 for 4 with a walk.

The Orioles lost a franchise record 115 games and during all this Davis contract allows him to make $161M a year.