RESEARCH: Strike zone metrics and BA
Mar 7 2014
A few weeks ago in this space, we determined that walk rate (bb%) is unrelated to batting average, with nonexistent correlations (+0.01) and random-walk patterns of BA performance at all levels of bb%.
In the conclusion of Part 1, we observed that the “connection” between walk rate and BA might have come about because of a theory that a guy who draws lots of walks is demonstrating an ability to lay off pitches outside the zone and to swing at pitches in the zone.
Nowadays, however, we don’t need a proxy for those abilities. We have pitch-by-pitch data detailing how often each hitter swings (or doesn’t) at pitches inside and outside the strike zone.
So we repeated the study using those metrics. And we did find stronger correlations in...
Almost!
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