K% and BB%
Description:
Strikeout rate (K%) and walk rate (BB%) measures how often a position player walks or strikes out. They’re measured in percentage form, so it’s easy to compare between players and years.
High walk rates are good for a batter because it results in them reaching base more often, while low walk rates are bad. Strikeout rates are a bit tougher to pin down: while making outs is bad, striking out isn’t necessarily worse than any other sort of out. If a player is still getting hits, walking, and reaching base at a high rate, then they can still be a valuable offensive piece with a high strikeout rate.
Context:
2010 Strikeout and Walk Rates
Things to Remember:
- Power hitters tend to have high strikeout and walk rates, since they swing big and miss often yet get pitched around by pitchers. Contact hitters are the opposite: they normally have low strikeout and walk rates.
- The more a player strikes out, the tougher it is for them to maintain a high batting average since they’re putting so few balls in play.
Links for Further Reading:
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I’m assuming that BB% includes the IBB. There is a good case to be made that they should be taken out. Also, there is a case that K% should be based on PA instead of AB. It all depends on what it’s being used for, of course.
Why is K% based on at bats? If two players get 700 plate appearances each, but Player A walks 200 times and K’s 200 times, he’s got a 40% K rate.
Player B walks 0 times and K’s 200 times, he’s got a 28.5% K rate.
Don’t like that!
Works both ways.
If you take those player scenarios and instead think of it as two seasons for the same player…shouldn’t there be improvement shown in K% in year two? They struck out in 200 at bats, but didn’t strike out in 500. The fact they went from 200 walks to 0 should be handled outside of K% imo.
Either way you still need to keep BB% and K/BB in view.
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