Although interest in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in has waned over the past decade as more advanced metrics have emerged, these statistics are far from obsolete. Not only are AVG, HR, and RBI still the three most commonly cited stats involving hitters on radio/TV and in newsprint, but they were even played up in the new media in late August and early September as so-called statheads wrote about the possibilities of a Triple Crown winner this year.

While not as prestigious as winning the Triple Crown, there are a couple of players who are on the verge of setting "records" with respect to these stats. Specifically, if Carlos Pena and Mark Reynolds wind up hitting under .200, one or both will have the dubious distinction of hitting the most home runs or driving in the most runs in a season with a batting average below the Mendoza Line.

Going into tonight's play, Pena is hitting .198 with 27 HR and 81 RBI. Reynolds has outdone Pena slightly, hitting .199 with 32 HR and 84 RBI. Prior to this year, no player has ever accumulated more than 29 HR or 64 RBI while "hitting" under .200.

Let's take a look at where Pena and Reynolds stand in HR and RBI among those failing to crack the .200 mark.

Here are the leaders, if you will, in HR:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

HOMERUNS                      YEAR       HR      AVG
1    Mark Reynolds            2010       32     .199
2    Mark McGwire             2001       29     .187
3    Carlos Pena              2010       27     .198
4    Rob Deer                 1991       25     .179
5    Ruben Rivera             1999       23     .195
6    Mike Schmidt             1973       18     .196
7    Steve Balboni            1990       17     .192
T8   Gorman Thomas            1986       16     .187
T8   Shane Andrews            1999       16     .195
T8   Tim Laudner              1987       16     .191

AMERICAN LEAGUE

HOMERUNS                      YEAR       HR      AVG
1    Carlos Pena              2010       27     .198
2    Rob Deer                 1991       25     .179
3    Steve Balboni            1990       17     .192
T4   Tim Laudner              1987       16     .191
T4   Gorman Thomas            1986       16     .187
6    Dean Palmer              1991       15     .187
T7   Reggie Jackson           1983       14     .194
T7   Harmon Killebrew         1975       14     .199
T9   Eric Soderholm           1972       13     .188
T9   Roger Repoz              1971       13     .199
T9   Deron Johnson            1974       13     .171

NATIONAL LEAGUE

HOMERUNS                      YEAR       HR      AVG
1    Mark Reynolds            2010       32     .199
2    Mark McGwire             2001       29     .187
3    Ruben Rivera             1999       23     .195
4    Mike Schmidt             1973       18     .196
5    Shane Andrews            1999       16     .195
6    Dave Kingman             1983       13     .198
T7   Darren Daulton           1991       12     .196
T7   Todd Hundley             2001       12     .187
T7   Bob Tillman              1969       12     .195
T7   Bob Robertson            1972       12     .193

And now RBI:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

RBI                           YEAR      RBI      AVG
1    Mark Reynolds            2010       84     .199
2    Carlos Pena              2010       81     .198
T3   Mark McGwire             2001       64     .187
T3   Rob Deer                 1991       64     .179
5    Harry Lyons              1888       63     .194
6    Pedro Garcia             1974       54     .199
7    Coco Laboy               1970       53     .199
T8   Tom Tresh                1968       52     .195
T8   Mike Schmidt             1973       52     .196
10   Shane Andrews            1999       51     .195

AMERICAN LEAGUE

RBI                           YEAR      RBI      AVG
1    Carlos Pena              2010       81     .198
2    Rob Deer                 1991       64     .179
3    Pedro Garcia             1974       54     .199
4    Tom Tresh                1968       52     .195
5    Reggie Jackson           1983       49     .194
T6   John Gochnauer           1903       48     .185
T6   Todd Cruz                1983       48     .199
T8   Ed Kirkpatrick           1966       44     .192
T8   Harmon Killebrew         1975       44     .199
T10  Deron Johnson            1974       43     .171
T10  Tim Laudner              1987       43     .191

NATIONAL LEAGUE

RBI                           YEAR      RBI      AVG
1    Mark Reynolds            2010       84     .199
2    Mark McGwire             2001       64     .187
3    Coco Laboy               1970       53     .199
4    Mike Schmidt             1973       52     .196
5    Shane Andrews            1999       51     .195
6    Ruben Rivera             1999       48     .195
7    Germany Smith            1890       47     .191
8    Nick Esasky              1984       45     .193
9    Monte Cross              1901       44     .197
10   Darren Daulton           1991       42     .196

Three Hall of Famers grace these lists: Reggie Jackson, Harmon Killebrew, and Mike Schmidt. Jackson was on his way down, Schmidt was on his way up, and Killebrew accomplished this feat in his last season. Mark McGwire knew it was time to go when he hit .187 while clubbing 29 HR in his farewell campaign in 2001. Dave Kingman, he of 442 career home runs (the fifth-most of any hitter on these lists), hit .198 with 13 HR in 1983 before jacking at least 30 dingers in each of his final three seasons.

While far short of Jackson (139 OPS+), Killebrew (143), Schmidt (147), and McGwire (162), the 32-year-old Pena (123) is producing at a higher clip than all of the other hitters listed above, including Kingman (115) and Gorman Thomas (114).

Reynolds (108), on the other hand, appears to be heading down the path of Rob Deer (109) and fellow third baseman Dean Palmer (107), who flamed out after his age-31 season. The 27-year old may not be long for a starting assignment in the majors if he continues to strike out over 200 times per season without Gold Glove-caliber fielding or a batting average on balls in play (BABIP) that rivals his 2007-2009 mark of .343 (vs. .255 in 2010). Meanwhile, Reynolds is a cinch to become "the first regular player to strike out more times in a season than his batting average." In his defense, you have to be pretty good — or perhaps have been good — to even set such records.

While your friends are paying attention to the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays or the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres, make sure you don't forget about the triumphs of Carlos Pena and Mark Reynolds.

Note: Thanks to Lee Sinins and his Complete Baseball Encyclopedia for the lists.