# MLB: Does the abolition of PEDs completely explain these stats?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-does-the-abolition-of-peds-completely-explain-these-stats/583856>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [May 31, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-does-the-abolition-of-peds-completely-explain-these-stats/583856 "2011-05-31T15:28:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-does-the-abolition-of-peds-completely-explain-these-stats/583856/21 "2013-08-29T19:36:20Z")

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> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#):
>
> I’d be interested in seeing those OPS numbers for 1995-1999, as well.

Yup. The OP pretty much picked the absolute peak of offensive numbers, and it makes it look like those numbers started out pretty consistently there. Here’s a link to [league-wide offensive numbers throughout MLB history](http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/bat.shtml).

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-does-the-abolition-of-peds-completely-explain-these-stats/583856/22 "2013-08-29T20:03:22Z")

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I don’t think we talked very much about changes in defensive positioning the first time around, but that could be a factor, too. And I’ve seen some baseball writers argue that hitters are becoming too passive and taking too many strikes, which could be contributing to the higher K rates.

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**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-does-the-abolition-of-peds-completely-explain-these-stats/583856/23 "2013-08-29T20:10:22Z")

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> [@Munch](#):
>
> Yup. The OP pretty much picked the absolute peak of offensive numbers, and it makes it look like those numbers started out pretty consistently there. Here’s a link to [league-wide offensive numbers throughout MLB history](http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/bat.shtml).

Not intentionally, as the ESPN website stats only go back to 2000. What’s also interesting in your link is that the average ages of batters were also at all-time highs during the period, which also contributes to the PED theory.

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