Adam Dunn Doesn’t Play the Baseball Like Other People

Through 69 games this season, Adam Dunn has struck out 109 times. Building on Grant Brisbee and Jeff Sullivan’s findings in which they discovered that Dunn has already struck out more this season than Joe Dimaggio did between 1941 and ‘47 and Tony Gwynn between ‘91 and ‘96, well, there’s even more to unpack.

Like the fact that Adam Dunn would lead the league in strikeouts if he was a pitcher. Justin Verlander is closest with 106.

Or that Dunn is on pace to strike out 259 this season. The record is 223. The last pitchers to strike out that many batters in a season were Tim Lincecum and Justin Verlander in 2009.

In 298 plate appearances, Dunn has walked 55 times, hit a home run 23 times, and struck out 109 times. His Three Tree Outcomes percentage is a shocking 63%. Not shocking, he has the lowest groundball percentage in baseball. (Back to shocking, Jed Lowrie has the second lowest).

If judged by wRC+ (weighted runs created), Dunn is having the best season of his career. If going on OPS+, its the second best season of his career.

This despite having the worst contact rate among Major League batters on pitches outside of the strike zone and the second worst contact rate on pitches inside the strike zone. Also, how crazy is it that Adam Dunn is the second worst at making contact inside the strike zone? (To Carlos Pena who has 82 of his own strikeouts.)

All I’m saying is, Adam Dunn is weird.