You might have seen this insane Triple-A box score from the other day. Some highlights from a game in which the Reno Aces clubbed the Tacoma Rainiers 25-8, collecting 25 hits and eight walks along the way:
• Kevin Cron reached base five times, scored five runs and drove in six more. He didn't have the best day among the Aces.
• That's because Yasmany Tomas hit four home runs. He had five hits, 17 total bases and eight RBIs.
• Not to be outdone: Matt Szczur hit for the cycle.
This was an extreme game, to be sure, but it reflects an offensive explosion at the Triple-A level. In the International League, runs per game have increased 25 percent over last season and homers are up 34 percent. Similarly, the Pacific Coast League has seen leaps of 14 percent in runs and 35 percent in homers.
What in tarnation is going on here? Well, if the alleged truism in politics is "It's the economy, stupid," perhaps the analogous saying in baseball ought to be "It's the ball, stupid."