Say if Chipper Jones wasnt hurt the last couple of years, would he be aprroaching 500 right now?

Question

Before his injuries occurred he was averaging a homerun per 18 at bats. Since his injury he is averaging a homerun per 16 at bats. Do you think if he would have been healthy and played lets say 140-150 games a year in everyone one of his years, would he be approaching 500 or maybe over it?

Answer 1

Chipper Jones is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Let's get that out of the way.

As to the 500 home run question:  His games played numbers are pretty consistent until 2004, playing over 150 games every year (except his rookie year). If you assume without injuries that he would've played approx 155 games a year from 2004 thru 2007, he missed about 130 games. Given his home run totals during those years, if you project each of those seasons at 155 games he lost about 20-22 home runs.  When you add in this year, he's probably lost another 6-8 home runs due to injuries (assuming he finishes the season healthy). Therefore, a generous estimate would be that injuries have, to date, cost Chipper about 30 homers. Giving him those 30 extra home runs puts him at 435. So I don't think he'd be approaching 500 now, but that number could've (and still could) be within his reach.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

ok at first i thought you switched them.  Now your saying that if only he were injured sooner, he would be better?  mmmm...ok

Answer 3

Of course he's a very good switch hitter ad a powerful lefty.

Answer 4

I think you have the at bats switched.  Doesn't make since that he is hitting more often since his injuries.  

With the injuries he is within 100 now so definetly he would have.  He still should make a decent run at 500 by the end of his career.

Answer 5

His career has been marred by injuries. I think that 500 HR's would've been amassed by him if not for that fact.

Answer 6

No

Answer 7

Even though he's missed time, he'll hit over 50 by the time he's done.

Answer 8

Maybe he would have but ik he would have done better

Answer 9

Actually most of his years he did play 140-150 games.  It is only over the past few years he had a few injuries. I would give him about 20-30 more hrs but thats about it.  A bigger what if is definitely Ken Griffey Jr.

Answer 10

I think it's realisitc to say he would be approaching about 475-480 by now probably.

Answer 11

Absolutely!  Chipper is the third best switch hitter in baseball history next to Mickey Mantle and Pete Rose.  Eddie Murray was also a switch hitter but I just feel Chipper has been an overall better ballplayer than Murray.

Chipper will end up with over 500 home runs by the time he hangs it up and will no doubt pass Murray in total home runs as well.