Are slappers overrated?

[CoogansBluff]

Would you consider these stats a productive slapper?

.385 avg, 36 runs, 30 rbi, .477 slg, .414 obp, 11 bb,

Depends on the league average. If she could do that in the SEC, she's be a very productive SEC hitter and would start for anybody. Her OPS would be about 45 in the conference. That's a player who can start and be an average if not better-than-average hitter in her lineup. And the fact that she could do that in the SEC would mean she'd probably be 95th percentile of hitters in college softball.

Although, I will add that the question isn't whether that's a productive/valuable player, but whether a coach would over-value that hitter because she is a slapper and say this is one of my two best hitters when she might only be the 4th best on the team.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Coog,
There is a guy in the "myth of the balanced lineup" thread who read a book. He is now able to take stats from a different sport, MLB, and make all kinds of statistical conclusions about fastpitch softball lineups and stats. I'm sure he knows a lot about fastpitch slappers and where they should bat in the lineup, etc, because he read a book about baseball stats. Hopefully he will chime in soon and we can all take it or leave it because his baseball stats don't lie, period. Lol!

I was hoping he'd chime in, as a matter of fact.

He might point out that OBA is undervalued in OPS, but what I'm noticing is that the OBA of many slappers is not as high as you'd think unless they are getting walks, which many do not.

 

[29dad]

Fast slappers who can also hit for power are the toughest batters to defend. They can also drive opposing pitchers crazy by fouling off good pitches with 1/2 swings. Fast slappers create errors when fielders rush their throws. Fast slappers are usually good base runners with a lot of stolen bases. Fast slappers can prevent double plays with their speed.

I agree with JAD. Elite slappers are a pitcher's nightmare. Foul ball after foul ball after foul ball. And then either a walk or a hit. Seems impossible to get a ball past them. There are mediocre slappers who are basically automatic outs against good teams. But the really good ones - who was the Oregon leadoff hitter last year? Those girls are invaluable. And if I was able to design a softball player from scratch, Kelsey Stewart would be the blueprint.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

I was hoping he'd chime in, as a matter of fact.

He WOULD point out that OBA is undervalued in OPS, but what I'm noticing is that the OBA of many slappers is not as high as you'd think unless they are getting walks, which many do not.

There, fixed it for you.

Raven Chavanne is a great example of a slapper whose power makes her a nightmare to defend.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

Hey vdub: feel free to contribute after you read a book or 2. But if you want to be insulting, don't go hiding in other threads.

CB, are you using OPS because that's what's available? OPS+ or wOBA would be a better measure. Or even GPA, if the others aren't available to you.

 

[CoogansBluff]

And if I was able to design a softball player from scratch, Kelsey Stewart would be the blueprint.

I'm going to watch her more this year. She had a great year, and she's a very strong defensive second baseman.

Raven Chavanne is a great example of a slapper whose power makes her a nightmare to defend.

Definitely.

I was looking at Raven's career stats, and I do notice that she had one down year, as a junior. She still hit .422, but lacked power, half as many extra-base hits as any other year. Her runs scored and RBI numbers also plummeted, despite the strong .422 average. Might be she was not healthy, as I notice her at-bats were down just a little. But what it suggests is that slappers need to put up some semblance of a power game to be the kind of nightmare you're talking about. For three seasons, she did that. (And she wasn't terrible the fourth, but not all-star quality.)

 

[grounded]

Coog...after thinking about it a bit, I think your question is being answered right now...with the "new" slapppers. I think the days of the slapper only are done/dying. The new focus is on slapppers who can swing away. Perhaps it will eventually evolve to hitters who can slap, if that makes sense to you. DD spends as much time working on the swing away as the slap, and that doesnt mean 30 min on each per week. For us, its truly a double dicipline...this is the "new" way for slappers...in time, I think it will all catch up to your thoughts. We're still not going yard...be we bunt/slap almost as much as we swing away. Perhaps that answers your question? The slappers training is changing...at least ours is. I believe those that dont, will be left behind.

 

[CoogansBluff]

CB, are you using OPS because that's what's available? OPS+ or wOBA would be a better measure. Or even GPA, if the others aren't available to you.

I also multiplied OBA by 1.8 to simulate what you were suggesting. Results don't change significantly. Seven of the lowest 12 in that category are slappers. Those seven are characterized by lack of power and lower-than-expected walk totals. Some don't even hit for much average.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Coog...after thinking about it a bit, I think your question is being answered right now...with the "new" slapppers. I think the days of the slapper only are done/dying. The new focus is on slapppers who can swing away. Perhaps it will eventually evolve to hitters who can slap, if that makes sense to you. DD spends as much time working on the swing away as the slap, and that doesnt mean 30 min on each per week. For us, its truly a double dicipline...this is the "new" way for slappers...in time, I think it will all catch up to your thoughts. We're still not going yard...be we bunt/slap almost as much as we swing away. Perhaps that answers your question? The slappers training is changing...at least ours is. I believe those that dont, will be left behind.

That would be my conclusion as well.

 

[29dad]

I am curious how many runs slappers scored compared to the other hitters. Batting stats are nice but they don't win games. The real value of a slapper is the fact that they are fast.

I also agree with JJ. I find it a little shocking that in all the discussions about stats, nobody seems to want to bring up that pesky little one called "runs scored." Seems to me that that stat is pretty important.