Comments on: Hampton’s Hitting

By: Joe R

Joe R — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:20:16 +0000

Speaking of good hitting pitchers, anyone check Owings’ ridiculous (albeit SSS alert) slash line?

.255/.264/.529.

He makes Bengie Molina look like Luis Castillo at the dish right now. Only 54 PA’s, but that’s a higher ISO than Kendry Morales / Mark Teixeira.

By: arch support

arch support — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:49:11 +0000

Take this for what it’s worth:

In my OOTP X dynasty (http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/joomla/), I’m managing a National League team. When the pitcher is up to bat, I have him take as many pitches as possible, meaning take until two strikes, then swing away.

Of course, most of the time, this results in a strikeout. But often, the pitcher will draw a walk. So often, in fact, that it’s not unusual to have a pitcher with an OBP of .300 or so over the course of a season’s worth of plate appearances.

I don’t mean to suppose that this can cause a huge difference in offensive value from a pitcher, but I’m surprised more teams don’t try this. A pitcher will often strike out as is, contact from a pitcher is not that valuable (low average, low slugging), and taking until two strikes has the advantage of boosting the opposing pitcher’s pitch count at least a little. Add in the benefit of a few more walks a season and I think this becomes a strategy worth trying.

Would more opposing pitchers just lay meatballs over the plate to get a strike if they knew the batting pitcher is not going to swing until two strikes? Sure. But most pitchers aren’t afraid to throw over the heart of the plate against batting pitchers anyway.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:22:15 +0000

Terry Forster had a .402 wOBA in 80 PA from 1971 to 1986…

By: James C-B

James C-B — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:51:01 +0000

awesome post. i’m wondering – does this adjust his war? it probably should, although i don’t think war takes into account pitchers’ hitting…

By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:34:08 +0000

should we compare these guys to replacement level pinch hitters?

can we get a war value from that?

By: Alex JN

Alex JN — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:52:51 +0000

Yeah, but that’s based on him remaining an average or slightly below-average pitcher, which may or may not hold true into the future.

By: MCR

MCR — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:50:44 +0000

There was a post on this at some point, and I think the conclusion was that he’s better off as an average or slightly below average but above replacement level pitcher than as an outfielder.

By: DavidA

DavidA — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:32:55 +0000

The best hitting pitcher I think I’ve seen is Micah Owings. Granted, it’s a small sample size, but for his career Owings has a .368 wOBA in 180 plate appearance. His power numbers are awesome too–OPS of .873 with ISO .of 246. That’s better than a lot of teams’ starting left fielder. Given that his pitching has been pretty atrocious, it makes me wonder if we might have another Rich Ankiel in the making here.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:02:28 +0000

how about Randy Wolf….

he has won two games in a row for the dodgers not only with his superb Pitching but he also knocked in the only 2 runs of the game in his last start and went 3for3 in the other game falling short of the cycle with only a triple missing….

By: The A Team

The A Team — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:27:36 +0000

“Pitcher hitting – it’s one of those small, usually overlooked parts of the game, but in some cases, it actually matters.”

My favorite example is from last post-season’s Myers vs Sabathia matchup.