Justin Turner is giving batting average new life

Phil Gurnee ♦ June 23, 2017 ♦ 1 Comment

Batting average isn’t the end all anymore when it comes to evaluating the kind of season a player is having but it is can still catch the fans imagination when a player flirts with the magic .400 season.

Justin Turner is still at .387, and as the calendar turns to late June he could set a few LAD records.  That batting average would currently be the best in LAD history for a first half break.  Mike Piazza and Tommy Davis had to be on this list. I had forgotten about the great start Nomar had in 2006.   Seeing Manny Mota with a high batting average is no surprise, seeing him with over 200 plate appearances in the first half is.  1971 was the year of the 3Dog.

The table below uses 200 plate appearances as the cut off point.

Player                 Split Year   BA  PA   H 2B 3B HR RBI   OPS
Justin Turner       1st Half 2017 .387 210  70 14  0  5  27 1.011
Mike Piazza         1st Half 1996 .363 336 109  6  0 24  63 1.055
Nomar Garciaparra   1st Half 2006 .358 303  96 24  1 11  53 1.004
Mike Piazza         1st Half 1997 .357 342 107 19  0 16  51 1.004
Tommy Davis         1st Half 1962 .353 380 126 15  8 15  90  .949
Manny Mota          1st Half 1973 .351 234  73  7  2  0  20  .806
Willie Davis        1st Half 1971 .350 376 126 25  8  3  45  .852

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/23/2017.

I’m sure you are now wondering how many LAD had an OPS over 1.000 in the first half. I sure was.

No surprise to see the trading partners Gary Sheffield and Mike Piazza at the top. Nor is it any shock to see the greatest offensive Dodger of all-time Cody Bellinger on the list. Piazza did the trick twice. One of my favorite all-time Dodgers Reggie Smith is right there. Wally Moon and his moon shots were flying out plenty in 1961.

Player                 Split Year   OPS  PA 2B HR RBI   BA  OBP  SLG
Gary Sheffield      1st Half 2000 1.093 368 11 27  71 .334 .440 .652
Mike Piazza         1st Half 1996 1.055 336  6 24  63 .363 .432 .623
Reggie Smith        1st Half 1977 1.021 352 18 17  53 .307 .436 .585
Wally Moon          1st Half 1961 1.020 296 11 14  46 .333 .449 .571
Justin Turner       1st Half 2017 1.011 210 14  5  27 .387 .464 .547
Cody Bellinger      1st Half 2017 1.009 227 12 22  49 .271 .344 .665
Mike Piazza         1st Half 1997 1.004 342 19 16  51 .357 .424 .580
Nomar Garciaparra   1st Half 2006 1.004 303 24 11  53 .358 .426 .578

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/23/2017.