Meet the Cubs new leadoff hitter Miguel Amaya. A slow-running C (not slow for a C, just a C), he has been hit 11 times in his 143 career PA. If he can also help make Milwaukee's starters less effective or even get them tossed, that's great.

Given HBP happen less than once every two games, this doesn't seem a very obvious way to reduce Ks. Anybody ever looked at the average pitch velocity of an HBP?

Well I think he's arguing the effect would be teams valuing command over control. But the way teams are going through pitchers, getting one ejected for every HBP is probably just a risk worth taking, the guy was probably going to get pulled soon anyway.

I know that's his argument but if HBP don't happen very often then it doesn't matter because pitchers will only rarely get tossed. And he's actually arguing that command and velocity negatively correlate and I'm not aware of any evidence that they do really -- at least no evidence beyond that if you can only throw as hard as Kyle Hendricks then you'd better have near-perfect command or you will be released by May 15.

Walk rates have been steady for the entire 2000s and, except for a brief period in the late 90s as pitchers adjusted to sillyball power, have been essentially unchanged for the last 50+ years. 1973 had a 5.3/3.4 K/BB; 2023 is at 8.7/3.3. HBP rates have doubled since 1973 and bumped up to today's level around 2018. All else equal, we're talking an increase in runners/IP (i.e WHIP + HPB/IP) of about .025 runners.

I also don't see how teams could emphasize/value command more than they already do. Nobody is throwing middle of the zone anymore, every pitch is intended for an edge, sure seems like 80% of the called strikes feature at least part of the ball outside of the zone. This guy doesn't want more command, he wants more meatballs.

If you're gonna do soething like this, make it a yellow card system. The first one gets the pitcher a yellow card. If hd hits a second guy thi sgame, he gets a red card. But it's also still in effect for his next start and if he hits a guy, he gets a red. Figure out soething "fair" for relievers (in effect for his next 3 appearances or 5 innings say).

this guy wants escalating penalties but this has only one escalation step: 1 HBP: base runner, 2 HBP: pitcher ejected.

WHy not take this further:

3 HBP/game: batting team automatically credited with one run
4 HBP/game: forfeit game
5 HBP/game: loss of draft picks and international signings
6 HBP/game: team demotion

And he's actually arguing that command and velocity negatively correlate and I'm not aware of any evidence that they do really

On a more serious note: Isnt this the argument that Rally or Snapper or someone keeps making every time automated balls and strikes are brought up? He seems to think that "nibblers" would be somehow unfairly impacted by such a system.

Approximately 1.1% of plate appearances in a game end in a HBP. Given that teams have roughly 87 relievers on their roster at any time, what are the odds that any one game not only features multiple HBP by a team, or that the team really cares?

What are the most logical ways to reduce strikeouts/velocity ?

1. Lower the mound
2. Move the mound back (I don't like changing dimensions)
3. make a walk 3 balls instead of 4 balls
4. Shorten bullpens
5. Make relievers throw 2 innings (not 3 batters)
6. Remove the DH when the starter comes out
7. Shrink the strike zone
8. Deaden the ball making HR swinging less useful


I like number 1 and some version of number 5. Lowering the mound reduced strikeouts in 1969. Making relievers throw more innings put s higher premium on "pitching" vs throwing.

This is not a good idea because of the unintended outcomes that are pretty obviously going to follow. First, no one will throw inside anymore if there's a chance they'll be close to hitting anyone. Second, that'll embolden batters to crowd the plate to take away even more of the strike zone and make uncertain pitchers even less confident.

Duke is right, lower the mound and see how it goes. If that didn't crank it down far enough then look at the ball. There are already humidors all over the league so they can be adjusted to make the balls into marshmallows without much more change. Automating the strike zone will help too, as those things can also be tuned without changing the dimensions of the game.

You could flatten the seams on the ball a bit, besides just deadening it. Lower spin rates would would make it a lot harder to throw a 98 MPH pitch that also moves a foot sideways/downward during the last 40 feet of its journey to the plate, as almost all modern pitchers do.

Obviously you would also need to deaden the ball and/or make the bats heavier with thicker handles, if you don't want 30 guys a year hitting 60 home runs.

And make the fielders' gloves a lot smaller. Don't just disincentivize trying to hit home runs, incentivize trying to put the ball in play.

I think a hard cap on number of pitchers/season allowed on major league roster is the way to go. First pitcher over the max costs you a game in the standings; next one, two games; etc...if nothing else could lead to a knuckleball revival!

Yes, these are reasonable solutions. But what about my totally wild solution:

When a batter reaches 50 strikeouts for the season: 5 game suspension
100 strikeouts: 10 game suspension
150 strikeouts: 15 game suspension

Or how about if a team strikes out more than once per inning in a game, winning that game only counts as a tie for their record.

What are the most logical ways to reduce strikeouts/velocity ?

1. Lower the mound
2. Move the mound back (I don't like changing dimensions)
3. make a walk 3 balls instead of 4 balls
4. Shorten bullpens
5. Make relievers throw 2 innings (not 3 batters)
6. Remove the DH when the starter comes out
7. Shrink the strike zone
8. Deaden the ball making HR swinging less useful

Sign on to 1 and 7, although 7 might not be necessary if the rule book strike zone were rigidly enforced, eliminating all those goddam gift strikes. Robo-umps would be an interim solution.

I vote to deaden the ball and lower the seams, am open to some of the other ideas.

Let players hit off a tee, but just for their first hit. After that, they have to hit the ball off the ground with a goal of getting it into a small hole in the ground some distance away.

are there really any games anymore where someone hits two batters and remains in the game? I know DOck Ellis once hit 3 Reds and was still in but that was 50 years ago. Does it happen anymore?

ANd if not then what is this guy arguing? He's arguing about hitting two batters in the same game with different pitchers. But how often does that happen where they leave the guy in?

Just end pitching inside. If the player is not over the plate and they have to dodge the pitch, just award first base. To be fair, also be really strict about calling it a strike if player is hit on a part of the body that was over the plate at the time. Then pitchers will have to be very careful about pitching inside, they can go a little inside the plate but too far and ...

Its a perfect plan really, as long as the exec that instigates it can avoid being found in any dark alleys by any major league pitchers for the rest of their life.

MLB Teams with most batters who were HBP, 2022
NYM 112
SFG 95
CIN 92
SEA 89
CHC 84
(TEX 47 was fewest)

2023
SEA 104
NYM 97
TBR 89
CIN 87
MIN/OAK 82
(BAL 41 is fewest)

MLB 2022-23 leader Mets is, in part, because MGR Buck Showalter never seems to do anything other than make a face in the dugout that makes it appear is if he has begun a bowel movement. feels like zero risk to your own batters from plunking all the Mets you like.

MLB Teams with most HBP issued by their pitchers, 2022
CIN 110
SDP 88
PIT 87
MIA/TOR 76
(CWS 51 was fewest)

2023
OAK 87
CWS 84
LAA 81
NYY 79
BOS 77
(ARI/DET 46 is fewest)

Just end pitching inside. If the player is not over the plate and they have to dodge the pitch, just award first base. To be fair, also be really strict about calling it a strike if player is hit on a part of the body that was over the plate at the time. Then pitchers will have to be very careful about pitching inside, they can go a little inside the plate but too far and ...

The rule should be that if the pitch is inside the batter's box, the batter is awarded first base. Otherwise he is not, even if the pitch hits his upper arm. No more of this nonsense with batters leaning into pitches three inches off the plate, and no more punishing the hitter for getting out of the way of a pitch headed for his back or his head, either.

The rule should be that if the pitch is inside the batter's box, the batter is awarded first base. Otherwise he is not, even if the pitch hits his upper arm. No more of this nonsense with batters leaning into pitches three inches off the plate, and no more punishing the hitter for getting out of the way of a pitch headed for his back or his head, either.

I've always advocated for any HBP inside the box is a base, regardless if the batter tries to get out of the way. Any time the batter is hit on a part of the body outside the box, it's a ball/strike depending on location. Obviously, the ABS would make this much easier to implement.

And, once again, reducing the distance between the bases would actually make strikeouts more punitive to the offense, which is key to lowering Ks. And couple that with an offense-limiting change (such as deader balls/bigger fields).