EJD, what about defensive shifts that rob so many singles to right field?
What about the inability of MLB teams to manufacture a run without a hit?
We rarely see this sequence anymore: Walk, stolen base, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly to score a run.
How about the inability to move a runner from second to third with nobody out or scoring a runner from third with less than two out?
And what about so many low-scoring postseason games we've seen over the past five seasons?
The walk, stolen base, sacrifice, sacrifice sequence results in ONE RUN, and the bases empty with 2 out.
The walk, strikeout, walk, strikeout, home run sequence results in the same outcome but with THREE RUNS.
A home run is not dependent on anything else to score runs. It scores 100% of the time. It is completely insulated from the rest of the game. MLB will shatter the all time season home run record this year and it won’t even be close.
No need anymore to get the runner over to third with less than 2 out. The eventual dinger scores him regardless of what base he’s standing at. It’s just not that important a part of the game anymore. Fewer teams than ever are running, yet scoring is going through the roof. If you have an alternate explanation, I would love to hear it.
And all this happening DESPITE team batting averages cratering due to both the insane strikeout rate AND the presence of the seemingly-constant defensive shifts that you mention.
Scoring cratered in MLB from 2008-2015, mainly due to the advent of the cut fastball and other hard breaking pitches. Increased velocity also became a factor toward the end of that period. A reversal in that trend started in the 2nd half of 2016 and the league has yet to look back.
The postseason is irrelevant to what happens this time of year. In the postseason, the teams get at least every 3rd day off, and often get multiple days off between series. This means rested staffs and shorter starting rotations. Those vulnerable 4th and 5th starters either sit or get sent to the pen. It’s a completely different game.