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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The Difference Pitching on the Edge Makes | FanGraphs Baseball

It’s nice to be able to quantify skills. It shouldn’t be shocking that having command in the strike zone and hitting the corners produces better results.

Jim Furtado Posted: January 15, 2013 at 10:24 AM | 14 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: sabermetrics

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1. DL from MN Posted: January 15, 2013 at 11:58 AM (#4347425)

As people more precisely quantify pitching with location data things like xFIP look sillier and traditional baseball wisdom (hit the corners) makes more sense.

2. Jason Michael(s) Bourn Identity Crisis Posted: January 15, 2013 at 12:21 PM (#4347447)

We're also going to end up with much better metrics.

3. SG Posted: January 15, 2013 at 12:40 PM (#4347463)

This is a pretty nice graphical representation of the importance of command in the strike zone.

Baseball Analytics: Mariano Rivera's Pitch Frequency

4. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: January 15, 2013 at 01:38 PM (#4347512)

Didn't some famous pitcher talk about the hitters owning the middle 12" of the plate, while he had to work on the 3" on either side, and the 3" just off the plate?

5. boteman Posted: January 15, 2013 at 01:58 PM (#4347541)

Looking at the heat maps in #3 it's a wonder that Rafael Soriano has a job in MLB.

6. Russ Posted: January 15, 2013 at 02:23 PM (#4347568)

7. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: January 15, 2013 at 02:38 PM (#4347585)

God, Mariano Rivera is awesome. That last heat map looks like a gawdamn mixture of two bivariate normals with small variances. That valley in the middle is so sick... and that's without considering that he's a *closer*, which means that he often doesn't have the luxury of walking a guy... amazing.

No question about the awesomeness. But, modern closer actually do usually have the option of walking guys.

The thing that has made Rivera transendent is the ability to induce weak contact.

8. bunyon Posted: January 15, 2013 at 02:43 PM (#4347594)

Agreed on the awesomeness of Rivera and heat maps.

9. SG Posted: January 15, 2013 at 02:48 PM (#4347603)

Looking at the heat maps in #3 it's a wonder that Rafael Soriano has a job in MLB.

Technically speaking, right now he doesn't.

10. Walt Davis Posted: January 15, 2013 at 04:03 PM (#4347681)

Looking at the heat maps in #3 it's a wonder that Rafael Soriano has a job in MLB.

Apparently it helps if you can throw 100 MPH.

Also, based on the heat map, Rivera's success is apparently based on the fact that 90% of his pitches to LHB are balls that are getting called strikes.

11. bunyon Posted: January 15, 2013 at 04:11 PM (#4347691)

Also, based on the heat map, Rivera's success is apparently based on the fact that 90% of his pitches to LHB are balls that are getting called strikes.

Now, Walt, I have it on good authority that the only pitchers to benefit from wide strikes are Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. Any insinuation otherwise is preposterous.

12. DL from MN Posted: January 15, 2013 at 04:16 PM (#4347694)

90% of his pitches to LHB are balls that are getting called strikes

Which must mean they have a wicked break.

13. SG Posted: January 15, 2013 at 04:24 PM (#4347701)

Also, based on the heat map, Rivera's success is apparently based on the fact that 90% of his pitches to LHB are balls that are getting called strikes.

Plus non-strikes that hitters are swinging at.

14. SoSH U at work Posted: January 15, 2013 at 04:28 PM (#4347708)

Plus non-strikes that hitters are swinging at.

And, I'm guessing, balls that are called balls.

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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The Difference Pitching on the Edge Makes | FanGraphs Baseball

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