Examining Yuli Gurriel’s Sudden Penchant for Walks

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports Yuli Gurriel has never been known for his ability to draw loads of walks. Even at his peak walk rate of 6 percent in 2019, Gurriel’s free pass numbers throughout his career are decidedly below-average. So, to my surprise, look at where the Astros’ first baseman is currently listed on the 2021 leaderboards when you filter by walks.

Top Ten 2021 Walk Rates

Joey Gallo 23.5% Miguel Sano 23.2% Luis Urias 23.1% Mike Trout 21.3% Robbie Grossman 20.0% Freddie Freeman 19.7% Max Muncy 19.4% Yuli Gurriel 18.5% Bryce Harper 18.0% Jacob Stallings 18.0% A general rule about walk rates is that it takes about 120 plate appearances for the sample to demonstrate some…