Guess What? The Bunt Makes a Comeback
PLUS: ATLANTA SHOULD CONSIDER ANY OF THESE DOZEN PLAYERS
Pregame Pepper
This weekend’s Dodgers-Yankees series at Yankee Stadium just might be a preview of the 2026 World Series . . .
Heading into play yesterday, L.A. led baseball with a 61-36 record and was a strong candidate to win its third straight Fall Classic — an achievement last done by the 2000 Yankees . . .
Injuries to both teams will mask their true talents, with defending American League MVP Aaron Judge of the Yankees out til mid-August at the earliest and defending National League MVP Shohei Ohtani unable to pitch because of a knee issue . . .
The Dodgers will also miss injured stars Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Edwin Diaz plus star catcher Will Smith . . .
Snell, twice a Cy Young Award winner, hasn’t thrown a pitch this season . . .
Although the Dodgers are comfortably coasting to another title with a huge lead in the NL West, the Yankees trail the frugal but clever Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
Leading Off
The bunt is back!
By Andrew Sharp
For reasons that aren’t really obvious, laying down bunts has become much more frequent in 2026 than it had been for years.
Opposition to “giving up an out” began in the 1990s with the rise of in-depth statistical analysis. Data showed that the cost of losing an out to move up a runner outweighed the value of a sacrifice bunt. As more teams subscribed to the approach adopted by Billy Beane’s “Money Ball” Athletics, the frequency of sacrifice bunts began a steady decline.
The end of pitchers batting in 2022 surper-charged that decline. Sacrifice attempts dropped from one every 157 plate appearances in 2021 to one every 267 in 2022.
In 2023, however, sacrifice attempts crept up a bit, and then a bit more in 2024 and ’25. No clear statistical reason exists for that change in strategy. Much has been made of pitchers working on spin rate and making more use of so-called sweepers, but overall MLB batting and pitching totals haven’t changed much in the four seasons (2022-25) since the designated hitter became universal.
Despite Trea Turner having the only .300 batting average in the N.L. in 2025, MLB teams overall hit two points higher in 2025 than in 2024. On-base percentages have been between .312 and .320 and OPS between .705 and .734 since 2022, the highest totals coming in 2023. The number of batters striking out has declined the past two seasons.
Stolen base attempts increased substantially when pitchers’ pick-off attempts were limited in 2023, but catchers have adjusted and are throwing out a higher percentage of would-be base stealers over the past two seasons. In any case, base stealing wouldn’t necessarily impact the number of sacrifice attempts, other than to make them less likely.
Whatever the reason, sacrifice bunt attempts so far this season are on a pace to get back to the 2021 level. Bunt hits, many of which aren’t part of a sacrifice attempt, are likely to reach a total not seen since 2015.
One possible argument for the increase in bunting: paying big bucks to sign home-run hitters is more than some teams can, or choose to, bear. Fast, slick-fielding players without much pop are cheaper and easier to retain. The Brewers and Rays, teams that bunt a lot and lead their divisions, for example, also don’t hit that many homers.
Bunt plays can be exciting. The often result in bang-bang plays and nice bare-handed pickups and throws by third basemen. That’s more exciting than a walk or pitch-clock violation, for certain.
Perhaps it’s just the renewed emphasis on speed that has made teams realize how disruptive bunt plays can be. It helps, too, that many teams are actually teaching more of their hitters how to bunt.
Could it be that too many of today’s third basemen aren’t the equal of Nolan Arenado in his prime? Are they playing too deep and off the line? After having seen so few bunts, do pitchers known how to field them?
It remains to be seen if sabermetric analysis starts to show that sacrifice bunting actually has become a more successful strategy, or if it again goes out of fashion.
Andrew C. Sharp is a retired newspaper journalist and a SABR member who lives in Central New Jersey. He was raised in the D.C. area as a fan of Senators I and II. Since 2017, he has written about D.C. baseball at washingtonbaseballhistory.com
Cleaning Up
Here are a Dozen Dynamic Trade Targets for Braves
By Dan Schlossberg
With three weeks to go before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, rumors are simply that: educated and not-so-educated guesses as to what might happen.
Fans of every team — especially those with designs on extending the 162-game schedule — make up their own trades and hope for the best. They are rewarded only occasionally.
As a fan of the Atlanta Braves, I’m hoping for a series of trades that will expand the team’s tiny lead atop the National League East.
That being said, here are a dozen players they might consider:
Tarik Skubal — With consecutive American League Cy Young Awards, this southpaw starter is likely to leave Detroit for the vagaries of free agency. But he’d make a great two-month rental if the cost is reasonable.
Sonny Gray — Another AL starter having an All-Star season, he’s a Nashville resident who might love moving closer to home. And he’s pitched well in the league during a previous tenure.
Jorge Soler — Now that Dom Smith’s strong start is just a distant memory, the Braves could use a right-handed slugger as a DH. He did it before, winning 2021 World Series MVP honors for Atlanta after hitting the game-winning homer in the finale.
Luis Arraez — A three-time batting champ and contact hitter who can play anywhere in the infield, he’d also be a great DH and No. 2 hitter behind former MVP Ronald Acuña, Jr.
Luisangel Acuña — Brother of Ronald, his speed and versatility are his calling cards with the White Sox but his surname is already legendary in Atlanta.
Ryan McMahon — Adding his lefty bat would also improve the infield defense, assuming Austin Riley were going the other way.
Freddy Peralta — Like Gray, he has a winning record against the Braves but could be turned into a winning pitcher for the Braves, a team with a great chance to win. A no-trade clause will complicate negotiations.
Joc Pederson — A former Brave whose arrival enlivened the 2021 team, he could play an outfield corner, serve as DH, or provide power off the bench.
Michael Wacha — Adding him to the rotation might not cost much, as Kaycee isn’t a contender this season.
Bo Bichette — A probable free agent, he’d provide right-handed power while returning to his former position at shortstop. Adding him would help the offense more than it would hurt the defense but dealing with the arch-rival Mets won’t be easy (even if only for lefty reliever A.J. Minter).
Corey Seager — A slugging shortstop with a Dodger pedigree, he would add both offense and defense to a lineup whose weakest link is his position. There’s been much talk of Texas letting him leave for the right package.
Casey Mize — If they can’t get Skubal from Detroit, Atlanta should settle for Mize, a capable starting pitcher whose durability and dependability would boost the rotation.
HtP weekend editor Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ covers baseball for USA TODAY Sports Weekly, Sports Collectors Digest, Memories & Dreams, and Lucas Communications. His email is ballauthor@gmail.com.
Extra Innings: Final Thoughts on ASG
Philadelphia fans justified their nickname of “Philly boo-birds” — and destroyed the town’s “City of Brotherly Love” nickname — by booing All-Stars from the Mets, Braves, Dodgers, and Yankees but saved their loudest Bronx cheers for mascot couple Mr. and Mrs. Met . . .
Home Run Derby champion Jordan Walker also drew heavy negative attention after defeating Philly favorite Kyle Schwarber in the annual slugging competition . . .
Ozzie Albies, a first-time All-Star starter, patterned his outfit [floral print shirt full of koi] after his hobby of collecting, cultivating, and nurturing the colorful fish . . .
Just wondering whether American League starter Dylan Cease had an advantage over his opponents because of his long tenure in the National League . . .
The heavy-hitting Washington Nationals might have been the Beasts of the East by now if not for a beleaguered bullpen that blew 28 saves in the first 97 games . . .
And speaking of blowing games, glad to see poorly-rated veteran umpires Laz Diaz, Brian O'Nora and CB Bucknor retiring at the end of the season — thanks to long-overdue buyouts offered by Major League Baseball.
Know Your Editors
Here’s the Pitch is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles the Monday issue with Dan Freedman [dfreedman@lionsgate.com] editing Tuesday and Jeff Kallman [easyace1955@outlook.com] at the helm Wednesday and Thursday. Original editor Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com], does the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Former editor Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] is now co-director [with Benjamin Chase and Jonathan Becker] of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, which publishes this newsletter and the annual ACTA book of the same name. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HtP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.
Carlos Narváez and Tsung-Che Cheng of the Red Sox both laid down perfect squeez play bunts on back to back at bats against the Rays in the Afternoon game of their doubleheader yesterday. It was such a fun game to watch.
Glad Dan recognized the Nationals as "hard hitting;" Although I damn their bullpen with faint praise, the Nats' 'pen has just 27 blown saves. Give them a day or to and they'll get to 28, headed toward the N.L. record of 37, already held by a previous Nationals team.