Stat Question...Batting Avg on Specific Pitches

[#1GreenwellFan]

Hope this is the right place for this question. I've Googled it several times and haven't found a good explanation. Can someone explain to me how a batting average against a particular pitch is calculated?

That stat (for example, "he's batting 0.XXX vs sliders and only 0.YYY vs changeups") is thrown around a lot but it doesn't seem to be very straightforward or a reliable stat at all. Given that batting average is hits / at bats and each at bat is made up of multiple pitches, I can't see looking at a result from one pitch from a given at bat being put in a way we can gain anything from it.

Can anyone explain this for me? I think just knowing the calculation may clear up my issue with it.

 

[MuzzyField]

My guess would be to break the AB's by specific deciding pitch type.

 

[#1GreenwellFan]

My guess would be to break the AB's by specific deciding pitch type.

That's my best guess as well. If so, I really can't see where it's useful, especially without lots of context.

 

[#1GreenwellFan]

Or, instead of useless, maybe oversimplified would be a better description.

 

[MuzzyField]

I'd imagine Schilling tried to keep something like this in his 'notebooks' to use when prepping.
With each pitch now being tracked with NORAD level detail it's probably easier to make it useful.

 

[LoweTek]

I once managed a team where I had the scorekeeper keep team batting average on first pitch swings. IIRC it was .089 or something like that. I used the stat to convince kids they were highly unlikely to see the best pitch of the AB to hit on the first pitch.

I'd like to see some first pitch swinging stats from MLB, just out of curiosity.

 

[Rice4HOF]

Batting average by count is tracked on baseball reference. At least on a by player level. For example, David Ortiz is batting .526 on 1st pitches. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=ortizda01&year=2016&t=b#count
But your team likely didn't have a David Ortiz on it.

 

[smastroyin]

That's just when the ball is put in play. I think LoweTek's point is to include swing and miss or foul balls against the "batting average"

 

[LoweTek]

Correct. Looked at it like a one pitch AB. The BABIP on first pitch was not much better, .150 or so IIRC. Most were swing and miss and I seem to remember foul balls as an insignificant factor in the numbers. Very few swings on first pitch were put in play. Those put in play were overwhelmingly weak ground outs.