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Major-league leader: Daric Barton (15.5%)
Unsurprising major-league "leader:" Vlad Guerrero (47.0%)
Major-league average: 29.3%
Others, for context (as seen here):
Pablo "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval: 44.6%
Jeff Francoeur: 43.4%
Alfonso Soriano: 40.6%
Adrian Beltre: 39.9%
Robinson Cano: 36.5%
Ichiro: 35.6%
Carlos Lee: 34.5%
Brandon Phillips: 34.1%
Vernon Wells: 33.5%
Ryan Howard: 33.1%
JoseJoseJoseJose: 32.1%
Brian McCann: 30.2%
Joey Votto: 29.9%
Hanley Ramirez: 29.9%
Jay Bruce: 29.3%
Matt Holliday: 29.1%
Adam Dunn: 28.5%
Prince Fielder: 28.3%
Adam LaRoche: 28.1%
Troy Tulowitzki: 27.8%
Ryan Ludwick: 27.6%
Albert Pujols: 27.5%
Ike Davis: 27.3%
Placido Polanco: 27.0%
Shin-Soo Choo: 26.8%
Mark Teixeira: 26.5%
Mark Reynolds: 26.4%
Evan Longoria: 26.3%
Ryan Zimmerman: 25.9%
Chase Utley: 25.5%
Alex Rodriguez: 25.3%
Joe Mauer: 24.8%
Stephen Drew: 24.7%
Jason Heyward: 24.2%
Justin Upton: 24.0%
Raul Ibanez: 23.9%
Michael Bourn: 23.8%
Rickie Weeks: 23.7%
Jayson Werth: 21.8%
J. D. Drew: 20.6%
Andrew McCutchen: 20.0%
Bobby Abreu: 18.1%
Luis Castillo: 17.3%
Basically, he was slightly-above-MLB-average in this category in 2010 (but way above average among "good hitters"-- see the names above). He's also slightly-if-not-insignificantly below-average in the contact-rate categories, though, and in producing swinging-strikes (both roughly in line with his career numbers, if a little high). Along with his 2009 equivalent-numbers (same sorta thing really, only a little less amplified), this suggests that he is hurt more by being a little more undisciplined than your average major-league hitter would be... and it also explains his sharp decline in walk numbers. What made Sugar Pants an MVP-caliber hitter was his controlled aggression; he swung hard, and made powerful, line-drive-laden contact on pitches in/around the zone throughout 2005-2008, and he let most of the rest go by. Whether it's a function of "feeling more pressure," an outsized sense of his own abilities, or something else entirely, he's gotten away from this, to an extent, jacking up already-high K numbers to Mark Reynoldsian heights and-- more damaging-- collapsing the walk numbers/OBP. It also makes him streakier, since his offensive fortunes are much more BABIP-dependent.
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