Home runs are flying out of the ballpark at a lower rate in 2022 compared to the last few seasons.

Through Monday’s games, MLB players were hitting homers 3.6% of the time.

That’s down over a percentage point from last season and a significant drop from 5.4% in 2019.

What does that mean for the game? Is it actually good for baseball?

Cole Wright and Cameron Maybin discussed on Cubs Live! Tuesday evening, including some advice Maybin received from Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who smacked 630 homers in his career.

“I think it’s a testament to getting locked back in and guys being more diligent on making more contact,” Maybin said. “Knowing who you are as a hitter. … Getting back, finding the barrel, finding contact. Griffey used to tell me, ‘I always knew where that barrel was when I was at the plate.’ You’re talking about a premier power hitter — one of the best to ever do it.

“I always knew where that barrel was when I was at the plate. So let’s get back to barrel control, discipline at the plate, being complete hitters and I think we’ll see that trend tick back up.”

Wright and Maybin also wonder if the dip in homers is an overall philosophy change around the game — focusing more on making contact and beating the shift than launch angle.

Of course, it’s also early in the season and it hasn’t exactly been hitting weather in many stadiums throughout the first couple weeks.

Another factor could be the humidors in every ballpark around the country and how that affects the baseball, which Wright and Maybin discussed.

Check out the full conversation in the video above.