Austin Barnes is The Worst Hitter in Baseball -

It’s time for real talk here folks. You know how I do this, with brutal honesty and directness. This may not be an article full of sunshine and moonbeams, but sometimes this stuff has to be said. As I have said before if I am not being 100% honest with you guys then I am doing you and this site a disservice. So here it is, Austin Barnes is the worst hitter in Baseball. There I said it. Oh you already knew that? I’m sure you did.

I mean it’s not hard to figure out. Barnes is batting .091 (2 for 22) this year and has reached base just 4 times in 25 plate trips in 2020. His batting average will surely continue to plummet, and I wonder if he could set the record for the most punch-less season of all time. He’s got the chops.

For the record Barnes has been a tremendously horrible hitter his entire career. I don’t understand why the Dodgers continue to go with him. What’s their fascination? Here’s a guy who has barely hit above the Mendoza line his entire MLB career. In 2018 he slashed .205/.329/.290 hitting 4 home runs and posting an OPS+ of 72. In 2019 he was even worse, (if that’s possible) posting a slash line of .203/.293/.340 with 5 home runs and an OPS+ of 68.

Those are just dreadful numbers. Many of you might expect me to mention his great defense behind the dish. That’s why the Dodgers keep him around you may say to me, and he knows the pitching staff really well. I’m sorry but not even Bill Bergen’s defense such as this could justify the dreck Barnes produces at the plate. Or should I say the dreck he does not produce at the plate. Basically Barnes is a horrendous hitter and no amount of great defense can make up for the fact that he is an automatic out at the plate.

It’s time to cut him loose. Here’s my advice to the Dodgers, release him and then sign him on as a catching coach. He can remain with the big club and help the pitching staff, and Will Smith. He could even help the bullpen as well. That’s the best case scenario for all involved. Barnes could try and continue his playing career with a different club, but it’s hard to imagine any team wanting a catcher who bats .090 every year.