You could double Adam Dunn‘s batting average this season, and he still wouldn’t come close to hitting .400. That didn’t stop the slugger from sounding off on players attempting to reach that plateau, though.
Dunn, who enters Saturday hitting .128, seems to think that the reporting of batting averages has the potential to impact players mentally.
“I’m telling you, if people didn’t post people’s batting averages on the scoreboard or in the media, people would be batting .400,” Dunn told MLB.com. “I’m serious. I believe that. You look at spring training, and I know it’s a small sample, but you’ve got guys hitting .500 in 50-60 at-bats. They know they’re hitting good, but they don’t know what they’re hitting.”
It’s understandable that Dunn harbors some ill will toward the statistical category. The 33-year-old hit .204 last season and .159 the year before. His career average sits at .238, and he has never eclipsed the .270 mark.
Dunn isn’t the only one who discourages the reporting of batting averages, though. Steve Springer, a pro scout and “performance coach” for the Blue Jays, thinks batting average is the “biggest trap in baseball” because of the mental attachment players have to it.
“The batting average is Satan,” Spring reportedly said.
