Understanding Hitting Streaks: When Does It Matter?
A look into how fans perceive hitting streaks in baseball and when they start to pay attention.
Throughout the season, the CBS Sports MLB experts will engage in a weekly discussion tackling various topics. This week, the focus is on hitting streaks.
How Many Games Do You Start Caring About a Hitting Streak?
R.J. Anderson: The measure of ‘caring’ could differ; for notable hitting streaks (let’s say over 15 games), attention builds. Looking at records like Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game streak, serious interest from me begins around 30 games.
Matt Snyder: I think 28 games—halfway to DiMaggio’s record of 56—is a good benchmark for starting to follow closely, but I’ll keep a more discerning eye once a player hits 40 games.
Mike Axisa: My view has shifted over time. I’m increasingly interested in streaks after 15 games now and get fully engaged after 20. Every hit feels like an achievement given how tough it is now to score.
Dayn Perry: I generally agree with Matt, raising the attention point to around 30 games. Nevertheless, I will start to notice around 24 or 25 games while keeping track:
- 30 Games: Serious attention.
This conversation highlights the varying thresholds fans consider before paying attention to a hitter’s streak.
