What is the best pitch in baseball?

I totally agree. Getting strike one is paramount.

No matter how it is done, strike one is always the best pitch! From that point on the batter is always in a hole.

No doubt about it. The best pitch in baseball is Strike One. The sabremetrics folks will tell you that it lowers the opposition batting average by something like 100 points, although I can;t give you a precise citation on that one.

 

Anybody wanna guess what the 2nd best pitch in baseball is ?

“Hitting is timing.  Pitching is upsetting timing”

 

So. . .the best pitch is the one that upsets the timing of the hitter.

So...you didn't watch the video?

Actually. . . yes, I did. 

Strike one might be the best pitch but strike three is the most satisfying. 

Even at 3-1?

The batting avg. for college hitters is .282.  When you get an 0-1 count that avg. falls to .199. Compare that with a 1-0 count and the avg. climbs to .386. In other words, a batters avg. doubles if you fail to get a first pitch strike. BTW, a college BA is a measly .186 with an 0-0 count if he decides to swing at the first offering he sees so go right after batters with a first pitch strike.

Nice Jimmy, I see your thinking like an umpire again. Sorry if I think like a pitcher...  

Really enjoyed that video.  Thanks for the link!

Questions:

1. are you home team or visitors?

2. Is this a HS, College or Pro game?

3. Is the opposing coach with a pitching or hitting background?

4. What are the distances of the OF fences?

5. Is the infield grass or turf?

6. What is the history of the opposing team?

7. How do you coach your offensive hitters in BP?

8. Is the "wind" blowing out?

9. Remember "Orel H" - change "speed and velocity" to survive.

10. There are 4 situations in a game which will determine "winning" or "losing"

 

Bob Williams

International Baseball - 30 years

I agree with and understand the stats.  But there's more to it that these stats, huh?  I know batters ("good" college batters) who when they see the pitcher throwing first pitch strikes every time, particulary if the pitches are not painting the edges, will often go after that first pitch strike and drive it well.  It'd be interesting to see what the stats would be for those kinds of hitters, rather than the average hitter. 

Good hitters generally do not put the first pitch into play for a base hit. My son will usually start off the first 2-3 batters with a fastball then throw to the next guy a breaking ball for a first pitch strike just to keep em guessing. We recently came from a camp where one of the instructors was explaining some good logic about attacking batters with the fastball for strike one. Generally we give too much credit to batters. Even in the Big leagues, the average hitter will see 3-4 pitches per at-bat. Based on statistics alone, the odds of giv8ng up base hits on first pitch strikes are not favorable, even for good hitters.

No.  Still thinking like an old lead off.  I loved a 3-1 count.  I expected a strike one. My goal was get on base. A 3-1 count upped the odds of that happening.

 

As a coach, the pitch I liked best was one that was clearly a ball, but got the batter to swing and miss...usually a little down and a little in.

Now if I was thinking like an umpire, I'd have said my favorite pitch was strike three.

Thinking like that Jimmy after a 0-1 count and you will be watching a lot of your favorite pitch for out #1. Would have loved to face you...

This subject comes up a few times every year, and we get to hear all kinds of stats, then are told why that 1^st pitch is so important. But with all those stats and all that rhetoric, I never see anyone present what finally happens in a PA by what that 1^st pitch was, except me.

 

Forget averages, just look and see what happens when the 1^st pitch is a strike as opposed to when it isn’t.

Wow.  What a leap.  Is jumping to conclusions you favorite form of exercise. How do you get from me loving a 3-1 count and having strike one not bother me to striking out?   I did not strike out often, had a good "on base" and was in the lead off slot for three years..  Obviously my coach was happy with my performance.

 

I am from the old or should I say old, old school, the best two pitches after the get ahead first pitch or otherwise is a well placed fast ball up and in, low/down and away in concert with a well placed straight change up.low and away diving down.

Don Ervin

dfervin32@yahoo.com

To quote a good friend of mine, "the best pitch in baseball is the one that the batter thinks is a ball, but the umpire thinks is a strike" 

I always vote for strike one. You can't get strike three without it.

heres a new angle maybe.  the best pitch(es) in baseball are those that are NOT thrown. Working smart, getting ahead, not staying in the zone, making batters defend their PA instead of attack results in...........fewer pitches thrown.  So I say the best pitch is baseball are the ones not thrown.  Wow, this takes me back to my Logic and Philosophy classes.  

For Love of the Game