Reading this Deadspin post about the rise of big-homer, big-strikeout, low batting average players in recent years made us simply curious about just how many more strikeouts there are these days vs. the recent past.
As it turns out: a lot more.
The average MLB team is on pace to strike out 1,251 times this season. In 2005, the average for a season was 1,021. Only one team in 2005 (the Reds at 1,303) struck out as much as the average team strikes out this year. Here's the full list by year, with the number creeping up every season since 2005:
2014: 1,251
2013: 1,224
2012: 1,214
2011: 1,150
2010: 1,144
