Is MLB hitting evolving or devolving?

[basballguy]

The Reds have kept me mildly interested in baseball this season.  I've been keeping up more with the teams and blah blah blah.  

My question is, has the game changed so much to where guys like Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber can bat .222 and .196, rack up 200+ Ks and still keep their jobs because they hit 45 HRs?  

Is it a pitchers league now?

[The D.O.Z.]

Remember Eugenio Suarez's chase for 50 HR a few seasons ago? I feel like that season broke him. At least for the Reds, I don't know how he's held up since the trade. But that was the first time in recent memory where I asked myself the same thing. How can a team keep a sucking black hole of Strikeouts and plate discipline in the 4-5-6 hole? Sure, a guy can run into one every 3-4 games, but how many of those are with guys on base? Or at a key time when a multi base hit is needed? Compared to how many inning-ending plays said player made trying to crush a HR?

[guyofthetiger]

Let's face it. Home runs attract fans. Going to a game hoping to see one is the in thing. Owners tolerate lots of strike outs as long as the long ball keeps coming.