Switch Hitters

[Guest cooby]

Reading Keith’s book and he mentions ted Simmons, a switch hitter, and I wonder, are there switch hitters any more?

Any insight from you who can watch games?

God damn I miss watching baseball. I need to stop reading books about it

[smg58]

Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes, off the top of my head.

I'd be curious to see if somebody has done any sort of study on whether there's been any sort of trend in the number of switch-hitters.

[smg58]

https://apnews.com/dce0b6d88c5d4bb385c5540ae6c726d2

I found this article from just last week after a quick Google search.

[Ceetar]

smg58 wrote: Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes, off the top of my head. I'd be curious to see if somebody has done any sort of study on whether there's been any sort of trend in the number of switch-hitters.

They mentioned it on the Effectively Wild podcast recently, did a split by decade. It's not declining or anything from what I remember.

[Edgy MD]

Sure seems to be in decline to me.

The 1993 Mets opened the season with six of their eight regulars (Hundley, Murray, HoJo, Tony Fernandez, Coleman, and Bonilla) being switch hitters. Plus their reserves included switchies such as Chico Walker, Jeff McKnight, Tito Navarro, and Wayne Housie. It was going to be THE YEAR WITHOUT BAILING OUT.

It turned out to be THE YEAR WITHOUT A LOT OF THINGS. By the end of the season, it was THE YEAR WITHOUT TONY FERNANDEZ, as he was sent to the Blue Jays for the second of his record four tours of duty with Toronto. It was also THE YEAR WITHOUT SO MUCH AS 60 WINS.

I don't mean to suggest a correlation between switch hitters and terrible play, but it was the 1993 Mets, and they were bad.

[Ceetar]

There are 78 guys that have switch hit this year.

There was 82 in 1980.

[seawolf17]

BOOM. DECLINE.

[Centerfield]

Does Reyes even count as a switch hitter? Don't you have to hit to be called that?

I would agree that he's a switch swinger.

[Benjamin Grimm]

There does seem to be fewer Mets switch hitters in recent years. I'll have to see if I can crank out some numbers.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Number of switch hitters who played for the Mets, by year:

1962 1
1963 1
1965 1
1966 1
1967 4
1968 3
1969 4
1970 4
1971 3
1972 2
1973 1
1974 4
1975 2
1976 3
1977 3
1978 4
1979 3
1980 4
1981 5
1982 4
1983 4
1984 3
1985 4
1986 5
1987 6
1988 5
1989 5
1990 5
1991 8
1992 9
1993 10
1994 6
1995 8
1996 7
1997 9
1998 7
1999 5
2000 2
2001 2
2002 5
2003 4
2004 5
2005 6
2006 6
2007 6
2008 7
2009 7
2010 7
2011 3
2012 1
2013 1
2014 1
2015 2
2016 4
2017 4
2018 3


Number of plate appearances by switch hitters, by year:

1962 59
1963 66
1965 39
1966 113
1967 861
1968 857
1969 984
1970 1056
1971 994
1972 543
1973 407
1974 440
1975 89
1976 592
1977 1502
1978 1190
1979 730
1980 944
1981 815
1982 1037
1983 1058
1984 1325
1985 1390
1986 1202
1987 1557
1988 1594
1989 1560
1990 1512
1991 2046
1992 2748
1993 3015
1994 1772
1995 1758
1996 1496
1997 1905
1998 1850
1999 1126
2000 10
2001 337
2002 1231
2003 1397
2004 890
2005 1825
2006 1958
2007 2025
2008 2111
2009 1644
2010 1896
2011 1534
2012 429
2013 416
2014 311
2015 40
2016 1368
2017 1390
2018 373


Switch hitters, by year, with number of plate appearances:

1962 Sammy Drake 59
1963 Pumpsie Green 66
1965 Bud Harrelson 39
1966 Bud Harrelson 113
1967 Don Bosch 101
1967 Bill Denehy 12
1967 Bud Harrelson 599
1967 Tommie Reynolds 149
1968 Don Bosch 122
1968 Bud Harrelson 436
1968 Al Weis 299
1969 Jack DiLauro 12
1969 Rod Gaspar 248
1969 Bud Harrelson 455
1969 Al Weis 269
1970 Rod Gaspar 15
1970 Bud Harrelson 679
1970 Ken Singleton 233
1970 Al Weis 129
1971 Bud Harrelson 616
1971 Ken Singleton 364
1971 Al Weis 14
1972 Bud Harrelson 487
1972 Bill Sudakis 56
1973 Bud Harrelson 407
1974 Ike Hampton 5
1974 Bud Harrelson 410
1974 Brock Pemberton 22
1974 Randy Sterling 3
1975 Bud Harrelson 87
1975 Brock Pemberton 2
1976 Bud Harrelson 430
1976 Mickey Lolich 70
1976 Lee Mazzilli 92
1977 Bud Harrelson 304
1977 Lee Mazzilli 615
1977 Lenny Randle 583
1978 Sergio Ferrer 39
1978 Ken Henderson 26
1978 Lee Mazzilli 618
1978 Lenny Randle 507
1979 Dock Ellis 28
1979 Sergio Ferrer 9
1979 Lee Mazzilli 693
1980 Wally Backman 109
1980 Lee Mazzilli 665
1980 Jose Moreno 51
1980 Mookie Wilson 119
1981 Wally Backman 42
1981 Greg Harris 22
1981 Mike Howard 29
1981 Lee Mazzilli 374
1981 Mookie Wilson 348
1982 Wally Backman 312
1982 Mike Howard 47
1982 Rick Sweet 3
1982 Mookie Wilson 675
1983 Wally Backman 45
1983 Mike Howard 3
1983 Jose Oquendo 351
1983 Mookie Wilson 659
1984 Wally Backman 499
1984 Jose Oquendo 209
1984 Mookie Wilson 617
1985 Wally Backman 573
1985 Larry Bowa 22
1985 Howard Johnson 428
1985 Mookie Wilson 367
1986 Wally Backman 440
1986 Stan Jefferson 26
1986 Howard Johnson 252
1986 Lee Mazzilli 70
1986 Mookie Wilson 414
1987 Wally Backman 335
1987 John Candelaria 5
1987 Gregg Jefferies 6
1987 Howard Johnson 640
1987 Lee Mazzilli 148
1987 Mookie Wilson 423
1988 Wally Backman 346
1988 Gregg Jefferies 118
1988 Howard Johnson 591
1988 Lee Mazzilli 131
1988 Mookie Wilson 408
1989 Gregg Jefferies 554
1989 Howard Johnson 654
1989 Lee Mazzilli 77
1989 Jeff McKnight 14
1989 Mookie Wilson 261
1990 Chuck Carr 2
1990 Tom Herr 114
1990 Todd Hundley 74
1990 Gregg Jefferies 654
1990 Howard Johnson 668
1991 Chuck Carr 11
1991 Vince Coleman 318
1991 Tom Herr 191
1991 Todd Hundley 68
1991 Gregg Jefferies 537
1991 Howard Johnson 657
1991 Terry McDaniel 30
1991 Garry Templeton 234
1992 Kevin Bass 145
1992 Bobby Bonilla 505
1992 Vince Coleman 259
1992 Pat Howell 78
1992 Todd Hundley 386
1992 Howard Johnson 408
1992 Jeff McKnight 87
1992 Eddie Murray 625
1992 Chico Walker 255
1993 Bobby Bonilla 582
1993 Vince Coleman 399
1993 Tony Fernandez 203
1993 Wayne Housie 17
1993 Todd Hundley 446
1993 Howard Johnson 280
1993 Jeff McKnight 182
1993 Eddie Murray 659
1993 Tito Navarro 18
1993 Chico Walker 229
1994 Bobby Bonilla 460
1994 John Cangelosi 133
1994 Todd Hundley 320
1994 Jeff McKnight 32
1994 David Segui 373
1994 Jose Vizcaino 454
1995 Jeff Barry 16
1995 Bobby Bonilla 350
1995 Carl Everett 329
1995 Pete Harnisch 36
1995 Todd Hundley 321
1995 Ricky Otero 55
1995 David Segui 91
1995 Jose Vizcaino 560
1996 Carlos Baerga 89
1996 Carl Everett 215
1996 Jason Hardtke 59
1996 Pete Harnisch 68
1996 Todd Hundley 621
1996 Kevin Roberson 45
1996 Jose Vizcaino 399
1997 Carlos Baerga 495
1997 Carl Everett 480
1997 Jason Hardtke 61
1997 Pete Harnisch 9
1997 Todd Hundley 505
1997 Luis Lopez 192
1997 Brian McRae 160
1997 Yorkis Perez 1
1997 Turk Wendell 2
1998 Carlos Baerga 545
1998 John Hudek 0
1998 Todd Hundley 141
1998 Luis Lopez 291
1998 Brian McRae 640
1998 Tony Phillips 229
1998 Turk Wendell 4
1999 Bobby Bonilla 140
1999 Roger Cedeno 522
1999 Luis Lopez 118
1999 Brian McRae 339
1999 Turk Wendell 7
2000 David Lamb 6
2000 Turk Wendell 4
2001 Desi Relaford 335
2001 Turk Wendell 2
2002 Roberto Alomar 654
2002 Roger Cedeno 560
2002 Mark Guthrie 2
2002 Gary Matthews 1
2002 Esix Snead 14
2003 Roberto Alomar 300
2003 Roger Cedeno 526
2003 Tony Clark 279
2003 Jose Reyes 292
2004 Wilson Delgado 147
2004 Kaz Matsui 507
2004 Jose Reyes 229
2004 Esix Snead 0
2004 Victor Zambrano 7
2005 Carlos Beltran 648
2005 Anderson Hernandez 19
2005 Kaz Matsui 290
2005 Jose Offerman 79
2005 Jose Reyes 731
2005 Victor Zambrano 58
2006 Carlos Beltran 613
2006 Anderson Hernandez 67
2006 Kaz Matsui 139
2006 Jose Reyes 702
2006 Jose Valentin 432
2006 Victor Zambrano 5
2007 Carlos Beltran 634
2007 Luis Castillo 231
2007 Ruben Gotay 210
2007 Anderson Hernandez 3
2007 Jose Reyes 764
2007 Jose Valentin 183
2008 Carlos Beltran 705
2008 Raul Casanova 61
2008 Luis Castillo 357
2008 Abraham Nunez 2
2008 Angel Pagan 105
2008 Argenis Reyes 119
2008 Jose Reyes 762
2009 Carlos Beltran 356
2009 Luis Castillo 579
2009 Anderson Hernandez 149
2009 Angel Pagan 376
2009 Argenis Reyes 18
2009 Jose Reyes 166
2009 Tobi Stoner 0
2010 Carlos Beltran 254
2010 Luis Castillo 299
2010 Luis Hernandez 46
2010 Gary Matthews 64
2010 Angel Pagan 632
2010 Jose Reyes 601
2010 Tobi Stoner 0
2011 Carlos Beltran 417
2011 Angel Pagan 531
2011 Jose Reyes 586
2012 Andres Torres 429
2013 Eric Young 416
2014 Eric Young 311
2015 Danny Muno 32
2015 Eric Young 8
2016 Asdrubal Cabrera 561
2016 Ty Kelly 71
2016 Jose Reyes 279
2016 Neil Walker 457
2017 Asdrubal Cabrera 535
2017 Ty Kelly 1
2017 Jose Reyes 559
2017 Neil Walker 295
2018 Asdrubal Cabrera 243
2018 Jose Lobaton 53
2018 Jose Reyes 77

[Edgy MD]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: 2000 10

That's pretty incredible. Pennant winner and everything.

I checked Baseball-Reference — it was 6 by David Lamb and 4 by Turk Wendell.

[seawolf17]

So obviously the problem is not that there's not enough switch-hitters, but too many switch-hitters.

[Guest cooby]

Centerfield wrote: Does Reyes even count as a switch hitter? Don't you have to hit to be called that? I would agree that he's a switch swinger.

Lol

[smg58]

I'm pretty sure Jose Oquendo only hit right-handed when he was with us. I think I remember (it's been 35 years) that either Johnson or Bill Robinson had suggested it to him without success, but that somebody in St. Louis finally sold him on it.