Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodgers' Gonzalez calls 2014 his 'best year ever in the big leagues'
Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers' Gonzalez calls 2014 his 'best year ever in the big leagues'

Published Jun. 4, 2015 3:45 a.m. ET

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez recently made a statement about his hitting which initially surprised Tom Verducci:

“Last year I had my best year ever in the big leagues,” he said, “and I hit [.276].”

This wasn’t just an offhand comment. Gonzalez reiterated:

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“Without a doubt,” he said. “I hit the ball better than any other year in my career.”

This is despite the fact that statistically Gonzalez had seen better years. He had four straight All-Star seasons from 2008-2011, including a .338 season in 2011 and a 2009 season in which he slugged 40 homers.

According to Verducci, Gonzalez’s percentage of hard-hit balls last year backs up Gonzalez’s statement because it was actually the highest of his career at 38.8%. As for why Gonzalez’s average was so low, the dramatic increase in defensive shifts among MLB teams is a factor. The left-handed hitter told Verducci:

“Look at the way the Giants play me,” Gonzalez said. “It’s tougher for me to get a hit against the Giants than anybody else.”

The first baseman credits the effectiveness of defensive shifts to such a degree that he made the following statement:

“You’ll never see another lefthanded hitter with power win a batting title,” Gonzalez said. “The deep shift takes too many hits away.”

If last year was Gonzalez’s best year, could he be even better this year? Thus far the left-handed hitter is on track for his first All-Star selection since 2011. Going into Wednesday’s game, he was among the top five hitters in the National League in batting, on-base, slugging and OPS, and he led the league with 19 doubles. Based on what Gonzalez said about last year though, these stats may not tell the whole story.

(h/t Sports Illustrated)

Photo credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

 

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