2026 MLB Season

Twins To Promote Walker Jenkins

Jenkins is a potential five-tool star. The Twins selected him fifth overall in 2023 out of South Brunswick High School in Southport, North Carolina. Since then, he has put up a combined .303/.404/.490 batting line across multiple minor league levels. His 13.4% walk rate and 15.9% strikeout rate are both very strong figures. His 144 wRC+ indicates he has been 44% above league average on the whole. He has good speed and a good arm and is considered a strong defender at all three outfield spots.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

Twins To Promote Walker Jenkins

The Twins are bringing up their top prospect.
www.mlbtraderumors.com www.mlbtraderumors.com

He's still only 21 !!!
 
Ben Rice with the 4 for 5, 2 homerun and 6 RBI night. Cam Schlittler with 6 plus innings of 10 strikeout, shutout ball. Yankees roll in game 1. Ironically both of these young stars are from Massachusetts.
 
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Freethinker said:
Ben Rice with the 4 for 5, 2 homerun and 6 RBI nights. Cam Schlittler with 6 plus innings of 10 strikeout, shutout ball. Yankees roll in game 1. Ironically both of these young stars are from Massachusetts.
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Ben Rice has been tearing it up this season. He hit 41 homeruns this years. Glad to see the Yankees with some white talent standing out!
 
Only 7 players hit over .300 this year, the least since 1968 when it was 6. This is an article from last year - 2025 but the same theme holds true in 2026.

https://www.wypr.org/2025-09-18/what-happened-to-baseballs-300-hitter

Ran the average batting average per season through AI and the average has obviously declined since 2000 which was in the peak of the steroid era. I recall collecting baseball cards back in the late 80s up to the 1994 strike as a kid. A .260 batting average always stuck out in my head as being a respectable professional hitter as a young kid. Crazy to see the average drop 16 points for the league average in 2026. The art of hitting has been replaced by strikeouts or homeruns.

SeasonMLB Batting AverageHistorical Context
2026.244Pitching remains dominant; leveling off after rule updates.
2025.245Steady mid-.240s environment.
2024.243Re-adjusted back down near recent modern lows.
2023.248Shift restrictions and pitch clock introduced, spiking averages.
2022.243Lowest mark since 1968 prior to major offensive rules changes.
2021.244Sticky substance crackdown mid-season attempts to aid hitters.
2020.24560-game pandemic-shortened season.
2019.252High-power environment; last season averaging over .250.
2018.248Strikeouts outpace total hits league-wide for the first time.

2017.255Peak of the early "Statcast/Launch Angle" revolution.
2016.255Hitting stabilizes temporarily around the mid-.250s line.
2015.254Slight bounce-back from a lower run-scoring era.
2014.251Pitching dominance reaches a pre-2020 high point.
2013.253Steady baseline for the mid-2010s.
2012.255Pitcher velocity and optimization begin accelerating.
2011.255Steady dip out of the high offensive environment.
2010.257Known as the "Year of the Pitcher" for its surge in no-hitters.
2009.262The final season in MLB history to average above .260.
2008.264Offense remains solid but well below the turn-of-the-century peak.
2007.268Late-2000s offensive peak.
2006.269High-scoring environment driven by high contact and power.
2005.264Balanced environment before the implementation of stricter drug testing.
2004.266Offense remains heavily favored league-wide.
2003.264Solid contact era with widespread power numbers.
2002.261Brief low-point for the early-2000s baseline.
2001.264Steady, high-scoring era continuing across both leagues.
2000.270The modern high-water mark; highest league average this century.
 
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