Everything About This MLB Season Is Weird–Including the Stats

For the first two weeks of the season, MLB offenses looked... weird.

The league batting average hovered around .230—down more than 20 points from 2019 and lower than anything that baseball had seen in decades, roughly around the mark set in the Year of the Pitcher in 1968. There were no major changes in walks or strikeouts, but BABIP (batting average on balls in play) had completely collapsed. That meant a lack of base hits, which tilt the overall offensive numbers significantly. It all prompted a wave of quick analysis—was this the result of changes in pitching strategy? of the unorthodox schedule? the empty stadiums? the baseball itself? the defense? The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh and The…