400 Is Chipper's Magic Number

On June 5th, Chipper Jones became the second MLB player this month to reach a milestone. By hitting a 6th inning home run against the Florida Marlins, Jones rounded the bases for the 400th time, rising to number 43 on the all-time home run list. However, his 400th home run may not end up being Chipper's biggest accomplishment. The 36 year old Jones is vying to become the first player since Ted Williams to eclipse the .400 batting average mark. As of June 8th, Jones is on pace to shatter Williams' mark, as he hitting .421. While Jones has had a productive career, no one has expected him to put together this kind of season, especially at age 36. In fact, Jones has never hit better than .337 over an entire season, giving reason to doubt whether he can sustain an over .400 clip.

Chipper, however, seems undaunted by his shot at history. Although his average continues to rise, Jones is doing much more than drop in dinky singles. He ranks 7th in the National League in home runs with 15 and has driven in 41 runs. Jones has also gotten on base at an astounding rate. Chipper's on-base percentage is .504, ranking in first in baseball in that category. Having an OBP of over .500 is unreal, yet Chipper continues to sustain that mark as we head into mid-June. Chipper also scores plenty of runs, as he is 8th in the NL with 44, and has been a vital leader on a young, and talented, but often inconsistent team.

While his track record suggests the Chipper's average will eventually fall below .400 sometime this season, Chipper Jones looks like a much different and better hitter at the plate this season. He is absolutely locked in, and it is almost as if no pitcher can get him out right now. Chipper has morphed back into his 1999 MVP winning form, and has punished pitchers for throwing to him. And although he has already cemented his Hall of Fame status, Jones could cement himself as a first ballot Hall of Famer if he can keep up his current pace. Certainly that will motivate Jones as the dog days of August crawl towards him and the pressure continues to mount during his quest. However, if Jones can handle the pressure, he is at a point where he could turn in one of the greatest offensive seasons of all-time. Now that he has got his 400 home run milestone out of the way, Jones will solely be able to focus on .400, the magic number that could turn his season from great to legendary.