Dodgers' Gonzalez calls 2014 his 'best year ever in the big leagues'

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez recently made a statement about his hitting which initially surprised Tom Verducci:

“Last year I had my best year ever in the big leagues,” he said, “and I hit [.276].”

This wasn’t just an offhand comment. Gonzalez reiterated:

“Without a doubt,” he said. “I hit the ball better than any other year in my career.”

This is despite the fact that statistically Gonzalez had seen better years. He had four straight All-Star seasons from 2008-2011, including a .338 season in 2011 and a 2009 season in which he slugged 40 homers.

According to Verducci, Gonzalez’s percentage of hard-hit balls last year backs up Gonzalez’s statement because it was actually the highest of his career at 38.8%. As for why Gonzalez’s average was so low, the dramatic increase in defensive shifts among MLB teams is a factor. The left-handed hitter told Verducci:

“Look at the way the Giants play me,” Gonzalez said. “It’s tougher for me to get a hit against the Giants than anybody else.”

The first baseman credits the effectiveness of defensive shifts to such a degree that he made the following statement:

“You’ll never see another lefthanded hitter with power win a batting title,” Gonzalez said. “The deep shift takes too many hits away.”

If last year was Gonzalez’s best year, could he be even better this year? Thus far the left-handed hitter is on track for his first All-Star selection since 2011. Going into Wednesday’s game, he was among the top five hitters in the National League in batting, on-base, slugging and OPS, and he led the league with 19 doubles. Based on what Gonzalez said about last year though, these stats may not tell the whole story.

(h/t Sports Illustrated)

Photo credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images