Posted by Gary Marbry

 

WHO WERE THE BEST AND WORST HITTERS AGAINST STRIKEOUT PITCHERS?

* - In 2008, pitchers who averaged 9+ strikeouts per 9 innings faced about 1 in every 9 batters during the year.  Which batters fared the best and worst against these fireballers?  121 different hitters batted at least 60 times against this group:

 

HIGHEST BATTING AVERAGE

Jhonny Peralta – CLE - .433
Ryan Doumit – PIT - .410
Carlos Delgado – NYM - .364

LOWEST BATTING AVERAGE

Geovany Soto – CHC - .071 (5 for 54)
Jason Varitek – BOS - .119 (7 for 59)
Jim Thome – CHW - .121

KEY RED SOX (in order by PA)

Dustin Pedroia - .313, 6 HR, 23 RBI, .954 OPS
Jacoby Ellsbury - .221, .524 OPS, 17 of 19 hits were singles
Kevin Youkilis - .282, 2 HR, 15 RBI, .801 OPS
Jason Bay - .176, 3 HR, .693 OPS (combined PIT/BOS)
Coco Crisp - .216, .550 OPS (8-48 .167 thru July; 8-26 .308 Aug/Sept)
Mike Lowell - .262, 3 HR, .785 OPS
David Ortiz - .204, 3 HR, .793 OPS, 6 of 11 hits were EBH
JD Drew - .240, .397 OBP
Jed Lowrie - .188, .598 OPS
Alex Cora - .360 (9 for 25), 1.088 OPS, 1 K in 30 PA

* - Pedroia led the majors in PA (114) and RBI (23) against the fireballers.  It’s too bad that he finished the season just 3 for his last 15.

* - Prior to August 1, the Red Sox as a team hit .221 (10th in the AL) and averaged 1 HR every 69 PA (only Toronto, with 1 every 108 had fewer in the AL).  But from August 1 on, they hit .248 (5th) and homered every 34 PA (about twice as often).

* - Before we leave the subject, let’s take it one step further.  I spoke with a pitcher that is currently in the Oakland organization and he intimated that successful hitters against high strikeout pitchers would be those who could do their damage early in the count because, generally, those pitchers have something nasty as their strikeout pitch.  Therefore, let’s see how hitters did against the high strikeout pitchers with 2 strikes:

HIGHEST BATTING AVERAGE WITH 2 STRIKES (Vs. Pitchers With 9+ K/9; Min. 25 such PA)

Curtis Granderson – DET - .353
Jose Castillo – PIT - .343
Ian Kinsler – TEX - .342

LOWEST BATTING AVERAGE

Matt Kemp – LAD – 0 for 34 (25 K)
Jason Michaels – CLE/PIT - 0 for 25 (16 K)
Grady Sizemore – CLE – 0 for 24 (17 K)
Alfonso Soriano – CHC – 0 for 22 (16 K)

KEY RED SOX

Dustin Pedroia - .283, 2 HR
Jacoby Ellsbury - .216, 20 K in 57 PA
Kevin Youkilis - .268, 4 doubles
Jason Bay (combined PIT/BOS) – 3 for 42 (26 K)
Coco Crisp - .146, 18 K in 43 PA
Mike Lowell – 4 for 34, 16 K
David Ortiz – 4 for 31, 16 K, 2 HR
JD Drew - .400 OBP in 40 PA
Jed Lowrie – 3 for 27 (15 K)
Alex Cora – 8 for 13 (.615) with 3 doubles (1.688 OPS)
Jason Varitek – 4 for 39 (23 K)

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RED SOX REVIEWS  - MICHAEL BOWDEN AND JONATHAN VAN EVERY

 

Player                         ERA    W   L  SV    IP  H   ER    BB   SO  
Michael Bowden        3.60   1   0   0    5.0    7    2      1     3  

* - Went through an 0-1 count on 13 batters and 1-0 on only 5.  That 72.2% “0-1” rate was 3rd in baseball (min. 20 BF).

HIGHEST % OF 0-1 COUNTS VS 1-0 COUNTS – 2008 – MIN 400 BFP

Mike Mussina – NYY – 63.8%
Kevin Slowey – MIN – 63.0%
Ervin Santana – LAA – 62.7%
Cliff Lee – CLE – 62.5%
Dan Haren – ARI – 61.9%

NOTABLE RED SOX:

Mike Timlin – 59.9%
Josh Beckett – 58.5%
Jonathan Papelbon – 57.8%
Daisuke Matsuzaka – 55.6%
Clay Buchholz – 53.7%
Tim Wakefield – 52.9%
Jon Lester – 52.9%
Justin Masterson – 50.6%
Manny Delcarmen – 49.5%

 
Player                            AB    R    H   2B  3B   HR  RBI     BA    OBP   SLG 
Jonathan Van Every       17    0    4    0   1       0     5     .235  .278  .353

* - Has seen at least 3 pitches in 17 of his 18 career plate appearances (94%). 

HIGHEST % OF PA SEEING 3+ PITCHES – NON PITCHERS - 2008 (Min 15 PA)

Matthew Brown – LAA – 95.0% (19-20)
Jonathan Van Every – BOS – 94.4% (17-18)
Craig Stansberry – SD – 94.4% (17-18)

HIGHEST % OF PA SEEING 3+ PITCHES – MIN. 300 PA

Nick Swisher – CHW – 87.6%
Jayson Werth – PHI – 86.3%
Bobby Abreu – NYY – 86.1%
Jack Cust – OAK – 84.4%
Brandon Boggs – TEX – 83.5%

LOWEST % OF PA SEEING 3+ PITCHES – MIN. 300 PA

Bengie Molina – SFG – 56.6%
Yuniesky Betancourt – ATL – 57.5%
Alexei Ramirez – CHW – 57.8%

KEY RED SOX PERCENTAGES:

JD Drew – 78.5%
Jason Bay – 77.9%
Kevin Youkilis – 77.8%
Jed Lowrie – 77.1%
Jason Varitek – 75.8%

* - Over his last two minor league seasons, 2007 with the Cleveland organization and 2008 at Pawtucket, Van Every has hit 38 HR and put up a combined OBP of .379.

 

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