In a column on this website two posts ago, I wrote about how surprised I was that Ichiro's slugging percentage—both the raw figure and his ranking—dropped significantly in Major League Baseball compared to his time in Japan. In fact, there is something else that surprised me greatly when comparing his Japanese and MLB careers: his on-base percentage (OBP). An incredibly wonderful interview with Ichiro by Yuta Ishida. "Ichiro Interviews: Complete Edition" (in Japanese, Bungeis

I've long been curious about home run hitters. It's often said that home run hitters also tend to strike out and walk a lot, but to what extent is this true? Certainly, home run hitters likely focus on powerful swings, which could lead to more strikeouts. However, there are players like Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams who hit many home runs but strike out infrequently. And while pitchers are likely to be more wary of home run hitters, leading to more walks, the degree of this l