The Dodgers and the Giants meet in the playoffs for the first time in MLB history and this season, they each won more than 100 games. They are the two best teams in the 2021 season and there are some reasons why they are playing so well.
The Dodgers won 106 games this year and they are very disciplined in batting. The Dodgers’ batters don’t easily swing at pitches that are out of the strike zone. In 2021, their chase rate was only 23.6% during the regular season and they drew 613 walks, leading the National League. Back in 2020, the Dodgers had a 23.4% chase rate, lowest in the NL. Thus, the Dodgers’ batters have very strong plate discipline these two seasons.
The Giants won 107 games, leading the majors. It’s always not easy to win 100 games in a single season and the Giants surely have a great season. One reason why they are so good is that the Giants’ batters are very disciplined. Their chase rate is 24.2% during the regular season and they drew 602 walks, 2nd most in the NL. In the shortened 2020 season, the Giants had a 28.5% chase rate. The Giants have become more disciplined and the Giants’ batters don’t easily swing pitches out of the strike zone.
The Yankees lost to the Red Sox in the Wild Card game. However, we can’t ignore that they won more than 90 games this season. The Yankees had 621 walks, leading the majors. It’s not a surprise. The Bronx Bombers had a 24.5% chase rate this season. Back in 2020, the Yankees’ chase rate was 23.2% and they drew 251 walks, most among 30 MLB teams.
The Padres had a very disappointing season and the manager was dismissed. However, the Padres’ batters were actually disciplined in batting during the 2021 regular season. They drew 586 walks, tied for 4th most in the majors. The Padres’ chase rate was 25.1% in 2021.
Moreover, the Astros and the Nationals each had a chase rate under 26% in the 2021 season.
Nonetheless, some teams are the opposite site.
The Marlins’ batters had a 31.1% chase rate in the 2021 season and how to improve plate discipline is going to be very important for them. The Marlins had an OPS of .671, second lowest in the majors. Meanwhile, the Royals’ chase rate was higher than 30% during the regular season and they drew 421 walks, fewest in the majors. It’s interesting to see the Red Sox have some problems in plate discipline. The Red Sox had a 30.2% chase rate, however, they batted .261/.328/.449 during the regular season. Furthermore, the Orioles had an over 30% chase rate as well.
The Dodgers and the Yankees have been very consistent at plate discipline and their batters don’t chase easily these two seasons. These two teams each have drawn a lot of walks. In addition, the Giants’ chase rate dropped from 28.5% to 24.2%. The 4.3% difference made a huge impact and the Giants have become a team to win more than 100 games. At the same time, the Marlins and the Royal will definitely need to learn to choose right pitches to swing and avoid swinging pitches out of the strike zone.
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