Bo Darville
05-17-2013, 11:01 AM
Will, I've got a question. I'm not harassing you because I appreciate your stats you bring to the table and enjoy reading them.
My question concerns the BABIP (batting average on balls in play). If I am understanding this correctly, it assumes that batting average on balls in play (take out strikeouts, walks, hit batters, homeruns, etc.) should be somewhat consistent. Pitchers with a high BABIP are somewhat unlucky, and pitcher with a low BABIP are somewhat lucky, and eventually it will all even out.
Am I correct that it doesn't take into account the quality of the contact made by the hitter? For instance I could groove 70 mph balls down the middle of the plate and guys will be hitting missles all over the field. It will result in a high BABIP, but the stat will simply say I am "unlucky". A good pitcher that changes speeds, locations etc. will have the balls in play be lazy fly balls, weak grounders, etc. That results in easy outs and a low BABIP. The stat will simply say that he is "lucky". However the difference in those two pitchers in not luck at all. One was a bad pitcher and the other was a good pitcher, but both pitchers pitched to contact. Am I correct in this thought? Is there a stat that accounts for this or is somehow already in the BABIP?
My question concerns the BABIP (batting average on balls in play). If I am understanding this correctly, it assumes that batting average on balls in play (take out strikeouts, walks, hit batters, homeruns, etc.) should be somewhat consistent. Pitchers with a high BABIP are somewhat unlucky, and pitcher with a low BABIP are somewhat lucky, and eventually it will all even out.
Am I correct that it doesn't take into account the quality of the contact made by the hitter? For instance I could groove 70 mph balls down the middle of the plate and guys will be hitting missles all over the field. It will result in a high BABIP, but the stat will simply say I am "unlucky". A good pitcher that changes speeds, locations etc. will have the balls in play be lazy fly balls, weak grounders, etc. That results in easy outs and a low BABIP. The stat will simply say that he is "lucky". However the difference in those two pitchers in not luck at all. One was a bad pitcher and the other was a good pitcher, but both pitchers pitched to contact. Am I correct in this thought? Is there a stat that accounts for this or is somehow already in the BABIP?