Batting Average Analysis ~ What It Can Tell You To Help Create A Positive Hitting Plan!

Batting average analysis, more than interesting statistics, a treasure chest of information to help hitters develop a positive plan for each plate appearance.

If you think back to most any baseball game that you watched, professional or amateur, you can no doubt recall some hitters who had some terrible looking plate appearances.

Quite often they go somewhat similar to this. The hitter steps in the box, the pitcher delivers a curveball in the dirt, a pitch at which the hitter swings and misses.

With the count 0-1, the hitter becomes somewhat confused, often taking a fastball on the second pitch for strike two, as his thoughts are occupied with having swung at a curve ball in the dirt.

With the hitters head spinning, and the looming possibility of the dreaded strikeout, he swings weakly at a breaking pitch on or off the outside corner for strike three, on one of the next two pitches.

Two bad looking swings and a take on the only strike of the appearance. Casual observation might conclude that the batter exhibits poor mechanics; but the real culprit is the lack of a plan for that at bat at the plate.

The above example happens on a regular basis in amateur and youth baseball; but also happens with frequent regularity on the professional level, where you know all players have super mechanics, or they wouldn't be where they are.

The cause? A poor, or non existent approach to that time at the plate.

Without a doubt, statistics can become numbing, in a game so highly saturated and tied to numbers. Hitting splits rise above that numbness, providing valuable information for players to create a solid, working philosophy and plan.

MLB Team Splits By Counts/ 2000 ~ 2007 ~ 2008 ~ 2009

Hitting Tips ~ From the Dugout

MLB Percentages Of At Bats With 2 Strikes

• 2000 ~ 46%



• 2007 ~ 48%



• 2008 ~ 48%



• 2009 ~ 49%

MLB Numbers In 2 Strike Counts

• 2000 ~ .192
  
  
• 2008 ~ .190
  
  
• 2009 ~ .187
  
  

As you can see from the above statistics, the percentage of two strike at bats is rising over the years, as the batting averages in those two strike counts are dropping.

What Does This Mean For A Youth Baseball Player?

• Hitting with 2 strikes is hard to do, even for MLB players.



• Find a way to stay out of 2 strike counts as much as possible.



• The best way to accomplish that is to hit one of the fastball strikes early in the count.



• To do that, the hitter needs to step into the box with a plan, looking to hit the first fastball strike they see. The pressure to decide if they are going to swing is eliminated, the focus is on seeing the ball, making it be a fastball strike, and putting a good swing on it.



• When you take that first pitch fastball strike, you start to put the pitcher in control of your at bat.



• There is nothing less dangerous on a baseball field than a hitter who doesn't swing the bat.