TAA 17 - I Don't Care How Fast You Throw Ball Four

The Approach Angle  

Nate Schwartz (@_nateschwartz) and Kyle Bland (@blandalytics) discuss plate discipline stats for pitchers.

The episode starts by talking about zone rate and chase rate, as Kyle explains that throwing pitches in the strike zone doesn't directly correlate with success for pitchers. However, they get into why pitches out of the zone can succeed, and how chases are generated. Then, they move into contact and whiff rates, breaking down what happens when a hitter decides to swing the bat. The two emphasize how location drives so much of the whiff, even though many people think it's more about stuff. Kyle also explains his preference for swinging strike rate compared to whiff rate, and what the differences are between the two stats. Finally, they talk about called strikes + whiffs (CSW%) and putaway rate -- two stats that have overarching value across the suite of plate discipline stats.

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