New York Yankees slugger Aaron Decide is dominating the massive leagues. In 46 video games, the two-time MVP is batting .401 and getting on base in practically half his at-bats.
Coming into play Could 20, along with main the majors in batting common, Decide is the MLB leader in hits (71), on-base share (.490), slugging (.751), OPS (1.242), OPS+ (248) and WAR (3.7). Decide additionally leads the American League in residence runs (15), RBI (41) and runs (43).
His off-the-charts numbers have The Athletic’s Jayson Stark, a veteran baseball writer, noting Decide’s case as the best right-handed hitter of contemporary occasions. Decide’s scorching begin has additionally led to the potential of him breaking two notable offensive data.
Ichiro Suzuki‘s season hit document
In 2004 with the Seattle Mariners, Suzuki set the big-league document for hits in a season with 262. In 2025, Decide might be the primary in a very long time to threaten Suzuki’s mark. The one different Twenty first-century gamers to record 240 or more hits in a season have been Darin Erstad (240) of the Angels in 2000 and Suzuki in 2001.
In his record-setting season, Suzuki had 68 hits via 46 games, three fewer than Decide after the identical span. Suzuki turned it on in 2004 from mid-July to the top of the season. From July 17 to Sept. 3 that season, he hit .433, notching 141 hits and averaging 1.91 hits a recreation.
This 12 months, Decide’s tempo (1.54 hits per recreation) would not match Suzuki’s 2004 second half. Suzuki completed his document season hitting .372, however via recreation 46, his common was solely .329. If Decide — whose profession excessive for hits in a season is 180 in 2024 — can preserve anyplace even near his present .401 common, the document is perhaps in play.
Barry Bonds‘ season residence run document
In 2001 with the San Francisco Giants, Bonds grew to become the second participant to succeed in 70 residence runs, launching 73. Since 2001, 12 completely different gamers have hit 50 home runs in a season, however just one has surpassed 60, Decide, who smashed an AL-record 62 in 2022.
That season, Decide had 18 home runs whereas Bonds already had 26 in 2001. Bonds’ residence run share throughout his record-breaking season was off the charts (11%).
Up to now three seasons, Decide’s residence run share is a bit more than eight p.c. This season is his lowest HR share (7.1) since 2021, however he is nonetheless main the league in residence runs.
Decide has the power to show it on and smack six or seven residence runs in per week, so though his present residence run tempo is under Bonds’ document tempo, the Yankees’ slugger might place himself inside hanging distance with a scorching streak.
The decision
Decide is stacking the hits greater than anybody else since Suzuki set the document for hits in a season. He’s an already confirmed energy hitter, reaching 50 on three events, so he has the talent to prime these two data.
Of their record-setting seasons, Suzuki (one) and Bonds (9) every missed fewer than 10 video games; Decide, who missed solely 4 regular-season video games final season, has not missed a recreation in 2025.
If Decide can keep injury-free, keep away from slumps and walks, he might break each data. In fact, that is rather a lot to ask from any participant, even one nearly as good as Decide, a six-time All-Star.
However even when Decide would not break both document, he is on tempo for the most effective seasons in MLB historical past. When his profession is over, he could also be thought-about, as Stark suggests, one of many biggest right-handed hitters of all time.
