According to the most recent (06/14/18) issue of MLB Weekly Notes, the Milwaukee Brewers have a MLB best 46% (126 out of 274) of their total RBI coming with two out. The first place Brewers have the best record in the National League at 42-27. The 40-29 Atlanta Braves have the second most wins in the NL and they also have the second best NL percentage of two out RBI at 43.2%. The San Diego Padres have the third best NL percentage of two out RBI at 41.7% but they have a 34-38 record and are last in the NL West.
In the American League the best two out percentage of RBI is 44.4% and belongs to the AL West fourth place Oakland A’s who have a 34-36 record. The only other team in the top five MLB percentages of two out RBI of 40% or more belongs to none other than our Minnesota Twins who sit at exactly 40%. The Twins offense has been anemic this season and their record stands at 30-36 and the team is 11th in the AL in runs scored. The third highest team in the AL in two out RBI is the 22-47 Kansas City Royals at 38.8% and only the Baltimore Orioles with a 19-49 record have fewer wins in MLB than the Royals.
Looking at the ten teams with the highest percentage of two out RBI, only three of the teams have won more games than they have lost and they are all NL teams. Five of those teams on the top ten list are AL teams and they all have more loses than wins.
The league-wide average of RBI coming with two outs this season is 37.4%, up from 36.3% in 2017. In 2017 the leaders in two out RBI percentage were both NL teams, the Houston Astros and New York Mets were tied with 40%, this year the Astros sit at 32.4% and only the Giants, Dodgers, and Cardinals rank lower but the Astros record is a not too shabby 46-25.
The Weekly Notes listed the following players as the best with two out RBI so far this season. Rockies shortstop Trevor Story leads the Majors with 30 two-out RBI, followed by Pittsburgh’s Francisco Cervelli (25); Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies (23); Minnesota’s Eduardo Escobar (23); Oakland’s Khris Davis (22); Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (21); Baltimore’s Manny Machado (21); Atlanta’s Nick Markakis (20); Jurickson Profar of the Rangers (20);
and Milwaukee’s Travis Shaw (20).
Let’s take a look at last years playoff teams
National League
Dodgers – 39.%
Rockies – 39.3%
Cubs – 39%
Nationals – 34.4%
D-Backs – 32.9%
The New York Mets had a 40% two out RBI percentage but finished with a 70-92 record and in fourth place in the NL East.
American League
Astros – 40%
Twins – 36.9%
Red Sox – 35.8%
Indians – 34.7%
Yankees – 32.6%
The Baltimore Orioles had a 38.7 two out RBI percentage in 2017 and finished with a 75-87 record, dead last in the AL East
So what is the answer
So how do you explain these numbers? Small sample size? I know, but we getting near the mid-point of the 2018 season.
We always hear about how critical the two out RBI are when we listen to or watch a baseball game yet these numbers seem to refute that. It appears that watching a two out RBI is fun when it happens for your team and a bummer when it goes against you but in the grand scheme of things it does not mean that you team will make the playoffs if they get a high percentage of their RBI with two outs.
You can find the June 14 edition of the MLB Weekly Notes under Additional Menu Selections on the right hand side of the page.