How good are pitchers compared to the average Joe

[JaredL]

at hitting?

I was thinking about how there will be the excellent spectacle of AL pitchers taking a couple at bats a game.

Firstly, how much better are the NL pitchers than the AL pitchers at batting? It's difficult to say based on the absolutely tiny sample sizes I would think.

The main question I have is how good is the average NL pitcher at hitting compared with an average guy that say plays rec baseball or softball? What about the best high school hitters? Average college hitter? Would they bat 9th in most single A minor-league teams or perhaps a bit higher?

The reason I ask this is that the average for pitchers seems to be about .100 or one hit in 10 AB. I find this to be impressively high. I think the average guy would be lucky to get a few hits in 1000 at bats. People who have played a lof of rec baseball would do better, but would do well to get a couple hits out of 100 at bats.

[Vyse]

[ QUOTE ]
I think the average guy would be lucky to get a few hits in 1000 at bats.

[/ QUOTE ]

You underestimate just how much luck there is on balls in play.

Obviously you're also partially claiming the Average Joe (c) won't get many balls in play, but I could swing blindfolded for a thousand times and get a couple of hits...

[JaredL]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think the average guy would be lucky to get a few hits in 1000 at bats.

[/ QUOTE ]

You underestimate just how much luck there is on balls in play.

Obviously you're also partially claiming the Average Joe (c) won't get many balls in play, but I could swing blindfolded for a thousand times and get a couple of hits...

[/ QUOTE ]

Depends on the pitcher obviously, but I would think that even the guys that get few strikeouts would get a ton against you or me.

I see your point though as there will be some number of bloop singles and ground balls hitting holes where you just try to make contact and get lucky.

[Spence]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think the average guy would be lucky to get a few hits in 1000 at bats.

[/ QUOTE ]

You underestimate just how much luck there is on balls in play.

Obviously you're also partially claiming the Average Joe (c) won't get many balls in play, but I could swing blindfolded for a thousand times and get a couple of hits...

[/ QUOTE ]

No you couldn't, AINEC.

[jogsxyz]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think the average guy would be lucky to get a few hits in 1000 at bats.

[/ QUOTE ]

You underestimate just how much luck there is on balls in play.

Obviously you're also partially claiming the Average Joe (c) won't get many balls in play, but I could swing blindfolded for a thousand times and get a couple of hits...

[/ QUOTE ]

The average joe, let's a 25-year old average joe, would include many who would hit a single ball cleanly into the playing field. Any pitch faster than 65mph would be faster than many could swing the bat.

[CardSharpCook]

pitcher BA is higher than .100 too. Closer to .200, my guesstimate would be .185. The thing to remember about AL pitchers is that (depending on MiLB league) this may be the first time they have not gone to the plate every time they take the mound. Also, in HS and sometimes college these star pitchers are all-around star players who will play another position when not pitching. These pitchers may have been the best batters on their teams as well. It is the MiLB and MLB system that has let their skills atrophy in combination with their lack of experience facing big league pitching (70-90 AB per yer for starting NL pitchers). However they are still gifted athletes with good hand-eye coordination.

Comparing them to the average joe, you will find that MLB pitchers have better hand-eye, more strength, more bat-swinging experience, and more experience facing big league pitching. Honestly, if I (played baseball up until 9th grade, but enjoy raquetball once a week) were given 100 ABs vs. Doug Davis I'd consider myself lucky to get 3 hits. Even an unimpressive hurler like Davis would be throwing curveballs the likes of which I've never seen with velocity that is equally new to me. My expectation would be 0-1 hits in 100 AB. Given 1000 ABs to adapt, that number starts to rise.

[gusmahler]

They should make a TV show featuring Average Joes competing against pros.

Average Joe being run over by Kordell Stewart

On second thought, that would be a terrible show.

[Spence]

CardSharp I think you're mistaken. Most pitchers at the collegiate level that have a real opportunity to go pro would NOT be playing any other position and would rarely hit unless they were freakishly good. The risk for injury is too high.

[MrFeelNothin]

[ QUOTE ]
CardSharp I think you're mistaken. Most pitchers at the collegiate level that have a real opportunity to go pro would NOT be playing any other position and would rarely hit unless they were freakishly good. The risk for injury is too high.

[/ QUOTE ]


He said in HS and SOMETIMES college.

And he is 100% correct that nearly every big league pitcher was an all-around HS star.

[tdarko]

JaredL,

-Most big league pitchers were once hitters at one point in their career. What makes them "fail" is that they lose the skill movements necessary to get to the ball b/c they aren't doing it everyday anymore--they are throwing everyday instead. NL pitchers hardly hit, they mostly bunt...the difference between AL pitchers and NL pitchers is only that NL pitchers are seeing live pitching more often, that is all.

[ QUOTE ]
The main question I have is how good is the average NL pitcher at hitting compared with an average guy that say plays rec baseball or softball? What about the best high school hitters? Average college hitter? Would they bat 9th in most single A minor-league teams or perhaps a bit higher?

[/ QUOTE ]

First, they aren't even close to a Class A minor league hitter. Crazy to even think so. Think of it this way, the middle order HS hitters are generally who play college ball, the middle order college players are generally who is drafted. So in the minor leagues everyone can hit--from there these things have to happen 1) no injuries 2) sharpen skills some 3) money invested in the player and 4) luck.

For the rest of the comparisons it is hard b/c I guess it is all how you define "average college hitter." Since a ton of big league pitchers were excellent athletes/hitters at some point and they are seeing big league pitching each outing then I am no doubt going w/ the big league pitchers over "average" college hitters--not good or great college hitters and absolutely over HS and rec ball guys.

Also, most people don't realize how hard it is to hit an 80 mph fastball. Now turn that up to 95, change the angle to downward (big league pitchers throw at a tough downward angle), add exceptional off speed pitches and the avg Joe doesn't TOUCH a ball in 1000 swings so you can throw luck out of the equation.