Adam Dunn, 29, Clearly on the Decline

Adam Dunn, now of the Washington Nationals, is clearly over the hill. He hit only 38 HRs in 2009, a noticeable decline from his past several years performances.

I am joking of course. It was a very noticeable drop, but not because he is slipping due to old age. No, it is obvious because for the four years from 2005 – 2008 Dunn finished each season with exactly 40HRs. That uncanny consistency came to an end this year, as he managed to club only 38 dingers. I wonder how many people lost wagers on whether this statistical freak of nature would have ended up with exactly 40 again?

That all said, his 2009 season was actually a fine one overall, as he batted .267 which is not bad for a sub-.250 career hitter. He of course walks a heck of a lot, and this year has 116 walks, which translated into a .398 OBP, raising his career mark to .383. On the negative side, Dunn is known for his high strikeout totals, and yes he did whiff 177 more times in 2009, the third highest single-season total of his career.

Back to the matter of consistency in the HR department. Dunn’s consistency in this regard is in part so remarkable because he has been consistent with such a high total of HRs. If you include his 2004 total of 46, he has had consecutive seasons of 46, 40, 40, 40, 40, and 38. For me this stirs memories from many years ago when I noticed the remarkable consistency — if less remarkable raw HR totals — that Fred Lynn managed in consecutive seasons from 1982 – 1988 when had 21, 22, 23, 23, 23, 23, 25.

And so I ask the baseball world: does anyone know of other hitters who have had such consistent streaks for HRs throughout the decades of this great game?