Runs per team per game averaged 4.36 through June 2 and 4.64 since, and the batting average was .236 through June 2 and and .246 since. Strikeouts dropped to 23.2% of plate appearances from 24.2% and home runs increased to 3.4% from 3.1%.
Part of the uptick may be due to offense usually increasing as weather warms.
On-base percentage and slugging percentage rose, too.
The June on-base percentage of .320 was up from .315 in May and .309 in April. The season OBP though June is the lowest since .314 in 2015, Elias said.
Hitters had a .417 slugging percentage in June, up from .389 in April and .393 in May. That raised the season slugging percentage to .401, its lowest since .396 in 2015.
Strikeouts exceeded hits by 388 in June after topping them by 1,091 and 838 in May. That left the strikeouts topping hits by 2,317 for the season, 21,285 to 18,968.
Strikeouts have averaged 8.89 per team per game, down from 8.99 through May. Still, strikeouts are on pace to set a record for the 13th consecutive full season — up from 8.81 two years ago and nearly double the 4.77 in 1979.
Hits have averaged 7.92 per team per game, up from 7.78 though May. The average is on track to be the fourth-lowest behind 7.91 in 1968 and 7.92 in 1908 and last year. Through May it had been the second-lowest behind 1908’s dead-ball era figure.
