In 2018, for the first time in the history of big-league baseball, there were more strikeouts than hits. Big-league hitters struck out a record-breaking 41,207 times, and much of the responsibility for that dubious accomplishment can be traced to the game’s fixation on home runs.
Home runs and strikeouts tend to go hand-in-hand.
To hit home runs, most hitters have to start their swing sooner and make contact out in front of the plate. That allows them to pull the ball into the shortest parts of the ballpark — the corners — and hitters who swing early tend to get fooled more often.