Our kids did a good job being more selective on 0 or 1 strike counts...looking for their pitch in the latter part of the season, also did a nice job with 2 strikes. Our on base percentage and batting average ended up really good but our scoring percentage was awful, we stranded a bunch of runners this season. With runners in scoring position with less than two outs what should a hitters approach be at the plate? I am looking at next winter in the cages, I want to score more runs next year. Is the rbi approach different than just trying to get on base? how do we practice for this?
rbi's
- Thread starter Mike
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- Apr 6, 2012
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Put your batters in situations in practice. Make sure they know what they want to do in the situation. It depends on where the runner is, how many outs, etc. Then, pitch to them and tell them to try to do what the situation warrants. They learn situational hitting, which is a very good thing to learn.
What age group? To me, it really depends on the batter. Each situation is dependent on batters strengths/weaknesses. Our #3, #4, and #5 hitters approach is much different than our #7, #8, or #9 approach. The only consistent theme would be to not change their routine/process. Know the situation, but focus on the process of hitting, not the outcome.
RBIs are why a walk is not as good as a hit. We tell kids this, but its not true. A walk never drove in a run from second, or cleared the bases.
Some kids you need them to work the pitcher, but other kids you really want them swinging the bat when there are runners on. My dds coach has some kids who he will give the green light with 3-0 count, but you have to teach them what that means. How to pick a spot and sit on the pitch that hits that spot, not just winging at the next pitch that is close to the strike zone. It has to be a specific half of the plate and where the batter likes to hit. Other wise she takes it.
Also if you are not scoring, you need to look at baserunning and base coaching. Are you aggressive? Are you putting pressure on the defense by taking extra bases?
Are the right girls in the right line up spots? If the coaches dds are batting 3,4 and 5 and are not driving in the girls who are on base. And batters 6,7 and 8 are hitting the ball, its time for the lineup to be moved around.
Some kids you need them to work the pitcher, but other kids you really want them swinging the bat when there are runners on. My dds coach has some kids who he will give the green light with 3-0 count, but you have to teach them what that means. How to pick a spot and sit on the pitch that hits that spot, not just winging at the next pitch that is close to the strike zone. It has to be a specific half of the plate and where the batter likes to hit. Other wise she takes it.
Also if you are not scoring, you need to look at baserunning and base coaching. Are you aggressive? Are you putting pressure on the defense by taking extra bases?
Are the right girls in the right line up spots? If the coaches dds are batting 3,4 and 5 and are not driving in the girls who are on base. And batters 6,7 and 8 are hitting the ball, its time for the lineup to be moved around.
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
I disagree. A walk is just as good as a hit in most situations. Unless you hit it over the fence, RBIs only come when there are runners on base and are more frequent when those runners are in scoring position. Whether its a sharp single, IF slap, bunt, or walk, the end result is the same - a baserunner on first. While 3 of those 4 actions won't drive in a runner from 2B, that runner can be advanced into scoring position and/or scored by the subsequent hitters. As the level of competition improves the talent level increases across the board (i.e, on a good U18 travel team your #8 and #9 hitters probably hit 1-4 on their HS team) and you'll see the best hitters getting pitched around i.e., they won't get anything good to hit. The opposing team wants that hitter to expand their zone trying to avoid a walk (i.e., going after pitcher's pitches and balls off the plate). If the hitter obliges, it results in an out more often than not. Better to take the walk in that scenario and leave it up to the next hitter to get a better pitch to hit and bring in the runs.
You need to remember that having a solid grasp of the game situation and the concept of situational hitting is an advanced concept for advanced, experienced players. Frankly, IMO, the majority of young travel players are still trying to simply master hitting. Until they do, I think you're best off continuing to promote that a walk is as good as a hit.
I don't know what you mean by scoring percentage. I'd like to see the actual stats that lead you to your conclusion. What's your batting average and on-base percentage with and without runners in scoring position?
IMO, clutch hitting is overrated, a figment of the imagination in many cases. Yes, you'll find teams and players that have good stats in clutch situations, but in studies of MLB teams and players, there's little evidence that it's not just a random thing.
Way, way too much logic in this! You need to tone it down Greenmonsters and convolute the message a little to make it clearer.
I might add if no one else has, that with less than 2 outs and a runner on 2nd, the batter should be looking for a pitch to drive toward the right side when less than 2 strikes to advance the runner to 3rd base.
I usually stage a good RBI hitter in the 8-9 slot for TB.
The HS coach did something different this year that "seemed" to work for the team, but I wasn't a fan of it 100%. And yet we did very well using this theory.
He had 1-5 our best hitters and OBP. We scored 80% of our runs in the top of the order. ( season we had 288 runs scored and 141 runs allowed ) Though the stats looked great for 1-3 the 4-5 didn't reach the full benefit of the top order. I don't have the book with me anymore to show the top order stats, but my DD would bounce between the 4-5 slot, had 25 RBI's but was left on base 31 times. There was no one to drive them in at the bottom of the order. ( this is why I like a good hitter in the 8-9 )
The HS coach did something different this year that "seemed" to work for the team, but I wasn't a fan of it 100%. And yet we did very well using this theory.
He had 1-5 our best hitters and OBP. We scored 80% of our runs in the top of the order. ( season we had 288 runs scored and 141 runs allowed ) Though the stats looked great for 1-3 the 4-5 didn't reach the full benefit of the top order. I don't have the book with me anymore to show the top order stats, but my DD would bounce between the 4-5 slot, had 25 RBI's but was left on base 31 times. There was no one to drive them in at the bottom of the order. ( this is why I like a good hitter in the 8-9 )
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Your good hitter hitting in this spot is likely to average close to 1 less at bat per game than the lead off hitter. Add that up over a season and it becomes a significant number. IMO, the weaker the team, the more at bats I want for the better hitters. I might take a 4-5 hitter and move them down to 7 or 8 if they are slow or poor baserunners who end up clogging the base paths if I have strong 6 or 7 strong hitters who can run the bases.
My issue are the coaches that take the bat out of the batters hands unless there are 2 strikes. Way to many times are kids taught to not swing until its the last resort. I am sure if we did a statistical analysis of walks and hits and averaged the number of rbi per hit with runners in scoring position and walks with runners in scoring position. Hits will win, but you won't get to that if your batters are afraid to swing the bat.
