First Pitch Strikes

[effectivelywild]

Things are a little slow right now, and I just read a really interesting article on the importance of throwing strikes early in the count. According to the article, less than 8% of first-pitch strikes turn into hits.

My question is, when Buehrle is struggling it seems like he's getting hammered on the first pitch, time and time again. Has anyone else noticed, and does anyone know of any way of looking at his stats broken down by count to be able to examine this more closely?

[aboz56]

All I can say is that Buehrle throws first pitch strikes and teams look for it. In the second half of last year, he got destroyed on the first pitch. If he's going to continue to keep pounding the zone the first pitch, he's gotta mix it up and hit a lot of different spots. If not, I fear he's still going to have problems.

[southsideirish71]

Throwing first pitch strikes makes a huge difference in the AB, especially with our new velocity based bullpen. The minute you put the hitter in defense mode, you can expand the strike zone. This however can be a hinderance for pitchers who have great control like Buerhle. Buerhle was getting to much of the plate on strike one, and was getting hammered. Coop preaches a high percentage of throwing strike one on the first pitch. Buerhle probably needs to be different from the norm and nibble a bit more. Buerhle needs to pound his cutter in on righties more. And pitch aggressive and not leave it over the plate.

[elrockinMT]

I saw the inability to throw first pitch stikes as a real problem especially for the bullpen. I think a starter can play with the zone a bit, but usually a reliever is brought in to quell some type of rally and when you can't throw strikes that can be like adding fuel to the fire sort of speak. However, on the other hand the type of pitch is important too.

[Balta1701]

I think another remarkable thing is how many hitters will just take a first-pitch and not even consider swinging at it to get an advantage.

 

Best example that I ever saw of this was in the 2004 playoffs...maybe it's just my memory being fuzzy, but I swear to God that it seemed like no one EVER threw David Ortiz a first pitch strike, and David Ortiz never swung at the first pitch, so he started almost every single at bat with the advantage.

[badatbest]

Its an interesting topic. The first pitch is such a crucial aspect of an at-bat, often determining who has the advantage for the rest of the at-bat.

 

Alot of batters like to take the first pitch to get "settled in", expecially the first at bat of the game. I think Buehrle has taken advantage of this fact through his career; however at this point the gig is up, EVERYONE knows buehrle pipes the first pitch. In order to have success moving on he will need to adapt and keep the batter guessing, especially on the first pitch.

[Steve9347]

Its an interesting topic. The first pitch is such a crucial aspect of an at-bat, often determining who has the advantage for the rest of the at-bat.

 

Alot of batters like to take the first pitch to get "settled in", expecially the first at bat of the game. I think Buehrle has taken advantage of this fact through his career; however at this point the gig is up, EVERYONE knows buehrle pipes the first pitch. In order to have success moving on he will need to adapt and keep the batter guessing, especially on the first pitch.

 

welcome aboard!

 

as for first pitches, it is so much more valuable to the hitter to take that first pitch, because being up 1-0 is such an advantage over 0-1, its worth the risk most of the time to let a cookie float right over the heart.

 

i think most batters pick a spot in the zone, that if they get a fastball right there they'll take a hack, other than that, they aren't swingin'.

[effectivelywild]

I think another reason hitters are reluctant to swing at the first pitch is the increasing emphasis on driving up a pitcher's pitch count. If you swing at the first pitch and ground out, you're giving the pitcher a huge gift in that sense, hence why most hitters almost never swing at the first pitch.

Juan Uribe obviously doesn't have this problem.

[southsideirish71]

I think another reason hitters are reluctant to swing at the first pitch is the increasing emphasis on driving up a pitcher's pitch count. If you swing at the first pitch and ground out, you're giving the pitcher a huge gift in that sense, hence why most hitters almost never swing at the first pitch.

Juan Uribe obviously doesn't have this problem.

 

 

You could bounce it in or hit Southpaw on one of the dugouts, and you might entice a check swing from Uribe.

[badatbest]

"Juan Uribe obviously doesn't have this problem."

 

For the life of me, I will never understand why an opposing pitcher would ever throw a strike to Juan Uribe, first pitch or otherwise. His at-bats are comical. I'm convinced that 80% of his hits come on pitches where the pitcher was either wildly inaccurate and accidently threw a strike or the catcher was too lazy to read the scouting report on him (ie. dont throw him a stike; he swings wildly at anything).

[ptatc]

I think another remarkable thing is how many hitters will just take a first-pitch and not even consider swinging at it to get an advantage.

 

Best example that I ever saw of this was in the 2004 playoffs...maybe it's just my memory being fuzzy, but I swear to God that it seemed like no one EVER threw David Ortiz a first pitch strike, and David Ortiz never swung at the first pitch, so he started almost every single at bat with the advantage.

 

Lance Johnson never saw a first pitch he didn't like.

 

I don't think I ever saw Wade Boggs swing at the first pitch.

[badatbest]

I really see the problem with buehrle's first pitch as mainly a lack of creativity from pierzinski's pitch calling; with a slight problem of buehrle htting his spots.

 

I see the same problem with lack of creativity from pierzinki when vazquez implodes in the 5th inning.

 

The batters just seem to see the pattern and make the sox pitchers pay.

[southsideirish71]

I really see the problem with buehrle's first pitch as mainly a lack of creativity from pierzinski's pitch calling; with a slight problem of buehrle htting his spots.

 

I see the same problem with lack of creativity from pierzinki when vazquez implodes in the 5th inning.

 

The batters just seem to see the pattern and make the sox pitchers pay.

 

AJ had one issue where he wouldnt call inside pitches enough. He would fall in love with away, away away. But on Vazquez that is not AJ's fault. Vaz's issues are pretty well documented. He gets lazy in his arm angle and drops down a bit, doesnt get the bite on his breaking pitches and they roll or hang and get mashed. He also missed a ton of location late. That is not AJs fault, its more of a mechanics issue with vaz.

 

Buerhle was all about bad location. When he missed, he missed high and over the middle of the plate. When Buerhle is at his best, he is pounding righties in with a cutter, and then going away with his offspeed.

[Steve9347]

pierzinki

 

:uhoh :uhoh

[Chisoxfn]

Lance Johnson never saw a first pitch he didn't like.

 

I don't think I ever saw Wade Boggs swing at the first pitch.

I don't think any hitter ever swung at more first pitches than Raul Mondesi. That guy at one point was a pretty amazing ball player though (god did he have a rocketship for an arm out in RF and he was pretty fun to watch. He ended up growing a gigantic ego, getting hurt and stinking in Toronto and everywhere else he went).