If I haven't mentioned it already, I am obsessed with the story Moneyball. As I was sitting in bed reading the book last night, I was enamored by the chapter where author Michael Lewis focuses on the importance of working a pitcher. That is, instead of going up to bat swinging at the first pitch, a good hitter is able to work the count to 2-1, or even 3-1 before swinging at the best pitch for them to hit. Patient hitters win teams' ball games; these 3 Diamondbacks help Arizona win ball games by being patient at the plate…
1. Josh Rojas (3.99 pitches per plate appearance)
The more you learn about Rojas, the more you realize how valuable he is to this team. A man that can play multiple different positions and field them all relatively well. Also, a man that can steal 20-plus bases, score 60-plus times, and record an OPS over .720…
A huge part of his OPS that was above .700 is his ability to get on base. Rojas led the team a season ago with a .349 OBP which was 22 points higher than the next guy (Chrisitan Walker). The thing about Rojas is he stays consistent. In 61 games before the 22’ all-star break, Rojas recorded a .344 OBP; in 61 games after the break, he recorded a .353 OBP. In a sport that is full of inconsistencies, it is so nice to have a guy like Rojas in the lineup…
A year ago, Rojas ranked 46th in the MLB in pitches per plate appearance. Just below him was Xander Bogaerts and just above him was J.D. Martinez. Rojas swung at the first pitch less than 28% of the time last season and impressively, Rojas was in the top 20 in 3-1 counts seen. An interesting stat from 22’ is that when Rojas got ahead in the count, meaning the first pitch was a ball, his OBP was .403 over the course of 165 of those ABs. When the pitcher got ahead of the count on Rojas, Rojas saw his OBP drop to .307. It amazes me how one pitch can change the outcome so drastically…
2. Ketel Marte (3.88 pitches per plate appearance)
Ketel Marte saw a dip in his offensive production a year ago. Marte finished the season with a .321 OBP and a .728 OPS. For some, those numbers would be fine and dandy, for Ketel, he knows he has better things in store…
In 2022, Marte wasn’t great with a bat in his hands but he did do one thing well; he stayed patient. Sometimes when players get in an offensive funk, they go up to bat trying way too hard and end up hacking at any pitch that looks half-decent. But last season, Marte ranked in the top 25 in all of baseball when it came to 2-0 counts seen. As I said above, It amazes me how one pitch can change the outcome so drastically. When pitchers got ahead in the count against Marte, his OBP was .231. When Ketel got ahead in the count, he slashed .302/.436/.522 for an OPS of .958. One pitch can make a player look like he should be heading to the minors, and one pitch can make Marte look like he is one of the best hitters in all of baseball…
3. Christian Walker (3.81 pitches per plate appearance)
Walker’s 22’ season is not talked about enough. Walker hit 36 HRs, 94 RBIs, and finished the season with an OPS over .800. Oh yeah, not to mention that he was in the top 5 in all of baseball among infielders in OAA, meaning he was elite offensively and defensively…
A huge part of Walker’s success at the plate was being able to stay patient. Walker only swung at the first pitch 30.2% of the time. He also ranked in the top 40 in 2-0 counts seen and he was in the top 20 in 3-0 counts seen. From these numbers, it is obvious that pitchers wanted no part of Walker. Pitchers would try to nibble at the edges of the zone, but Walker didn’t bite very often. Looking at Walker’s splits, there is a huge difference yet again. Last season when he got ahead in the count he recorded a .362 OBP. When the pitcher got ahead, Walker’s OBP dropped to .297.
These numbers may very well change the way I watch a baseball game now…