US renewable electricity output

As the wind turbines spun and the solar panels silently accumulated photons, Major League Baseball batters were also, in their own way, contributing to the energy sector — specifically, the kinetic energy of a bat swinging through empty air. From 2002 to 2021, MLB strikeouts rose inexorably while renewable energy output climbed alongside.

MLB strikeouts have risen continuously since the early 2000s due to structural changes in the game: the shift toward power pitching, the optimization of spin rate and velocity, and the rise of launch-angle hitting philosophy that accepts strikeouts in exchange for home run upside. U.S. renewable electricity output grew over the same period due to federal tax incentives, falling solar and wind costs, and state-level renewable portfolio standards.

Two systems, optimized by data and economics, both trending dramatically in one direction for two decades. The correlation is a reminder that 'going up' is not a cause — it is merely what happens when something is working.