Batting Average

[Rocketech1]

As a coach, I think you want as much information as you can to properly evaluate a player, so all of the stats are important as long as you can reliably trust the scorekeeper to be fairly accurate. Some batting stats I like are OBS (OBP & Slugging%), BA, ratio of hits to strikeouts, and QAB

You didnt ask but for Pitching: WHIP, ERA, strikeouts to walks ratio, and opponents BA are key for me.

 

[JoeKC]

As others have said ROE and FC are not, and should not be included in batting average. IMHO the rules relative to scoring should not change because of age, skill, or parental influence. Inflating stats, like false praise does a terrible disservice to the athlete long-term. Softball is a great vehicle to teach life lessons and build character. Pretending everyone is equal or lowering standards does nothing to prepare these young athletes for life after softball.

Any and all data that is accurately captured has value. That being said stats are also only part of the equation, and should influence but not dictate a coaches decisions relative to lineup, substitutions, pitching rotation, etc. If that philosophy is articulated at the beginning of every season, some of the issues and challenges later in the season can be minimized.

As an aside, when our girls were young (8u & 10U) we calculated a stat called BIP (ball in play pct) which was helpful in evaluating their progress in the plate. (PA - (BB, HBP, SO, CI)) / PA

 

[GOINGDEEP]

The OP was referring to HS levels so here is my take. For the HS level I look at it different. I like runs. That how I evaluate opponents in HS.

Individual BA really tells me little about how the team stacks up ( and this is a team sport ), you can have 3-4 with a .500 BA who get LOB 50x's a season.

So for me a good portion of what I look at are RBI's and "runs". I don't really care how they get on ( hit/walk/error ) long as they get on, next I care about them scoring after OB, then who RBI's them in. OB/RUNS/RBI is how we set our line up.

 

[tghorley]

Since we are on the subject, why is it that a fly ball to the outfield or a bunt that moves a runner(s) up is called a sac, but a batter takes a pitch to the right of the infield and allows a runner(s) to move up is not a sac? To me, all three are equally important and end with the same result. Just asking.

 

[JoeKC]

Since we are on the subject, why is it that a fly ball to the outfield or a bunt that moves a runner(s) up is called a sac, but a batter takes a pitch to the right of the infield and allows a runner(s) to move up is not a sac? To me, all three are equally important and end with the same result. Just asking.

A ground ball to the infield has the possibility of being a DP or at a minimum a FC. Arguably, a well executed bunt or well hit fly ball to the outfield doesn't give the defensive team those options.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I love hearing myself talk about stats. So feel free to ignore me.

On Base Percentage, which IMO is a better indication of successful at bats.

I like OBP better than avg.

OBP has long been underrated, so I won’t disagree w/ you, but my experience is that younger players who walk a lot and have the highest OBP in 10U and 12U (ie, they hit .200 with a .500 OBA) will become less and less valuable as they age unless they learn to hit the ball. Another dangerous thing about OBP is that some girls get a lot of walks against weaker teams, and that inflates their OBP. Then when they face pitchers w/ control, those walks disappear, and their value drops considerably. That’s why batting average is still important, IMO.

To be honest, I don't see the point of stats at all at 10U.

I kept stats at 10U for me, the coach. I didn't share them w/ anyone. There are several benefits, IMO. Even in 10U, most coaches want to maximize their batting order. Keeping stats helps you to do that. Stats also help you be objective w/ the batting order. It's one thing to think somebody is producing, but another to have it confirmed. Sometimes we think girls are hitting when they aren't, and vice-versa. Stats are the reality check. Stats also give you information you might need to help hitters. Some are too aggressive at the plate (never walk). Some are too timid (walk too much). Stats help you quantify what your players are doing. And finally, it might help explain to those parents who don’t understand why their daughter isn’t batting second. And it might be our own daughters.

Some batting stats I like are OBS (OBP & Slugging%), BA, ratio of hits to strikeouts, and QAB

I think you mean OPS? I love that stat. It's my favorite. But I’ve noticed that it can lose some meaning when playing an uneven schedule (you play some really good and really bad teams, which is common in school ball, for instance). I’m keeping stats for my daughter’s middle school team this season. They beat a team 20-0 last week. Those girls fortunate enough to hit fly balls in that game got a lot of extra-base hits that inflated their slugging and OPS. Because extra-base hits are not that common in fastpitch, it takes a while to dilute the value of those cheap ones.

OB/RUNS/RBI is how we set our line up.

I like your bottom-line way of thinking, but I'd be concerned about the fact that RBI (and runs also, to a lesser extent) are statistics of opportunity. Two hitters batting .350 w/ a .500 slugging percentage will have very different RBI/Run totals if you bat one third and the other seventh. That's why I like OPS. But if you gave me your hitter with the most runs + RBI, I'd trust that I got a really good player.

 

[Thing1Thing2]

To be honest, I don't see the point of stats at all at 10U.

Obviously at 10u your team was not chasing a berth to the ASA Nationals.

 

[Greenmonsters]

I love hearing myself talk about stats. So feel free to ignore me.





OBP has long been underrated, so I won’t disagree w/ you, but my experience is that younger players who walk a lot and have the highest OBP in 10U and 12U (ie, they hit .200 with a .500 OBA) will become less and less valuable as they age unless they learn to hit the ball. Another dangerous thing about OBP is that some girls get a lot of walks against weaker teams, and that inflates their OBP. Then when they face pitchers w/ control, those walks disappear, and their value drops considerably. That’s why batting average is still important, IMO.



I kept stats at 10U for me, the coach. I didn't share them w/ anyone. There are several benefits, IMO. Even in 10U, most coaches want to maximize their batting order. Keeping stats helps you to do that. Stats also help you be objective w/ the batting order. It's one thing to think somebody is producing, but another to have it confirmed. Sometimes we think girls are hitting when they aren't, and vice-versa. Stats are the reality check. Stats also give you information you might need to help hitters. Some are too aggressive at the plate (never walk). Some are too timid (walk too much). Stats help you quantify what your players are doing. And finally, it might help explain to those parents who don’t understand why their daughter isn’t batting second. And it might be our own daughters.



I think you mean OPS? I love that stat. It's my favorite. But I’ve noticed that it can lose some meaning when playing an uneven schedule (you play some really good and really bad teams, which is common in school ball, for instance). I’m keeping stats for my daughter’s middle school team this season. They beat a team 20-0 last week. Those girls fortunate enough to hit fly balls in that game got a lot of extra-base hits that inflated their slugging and OPS. Because extra-base hits are not that common in fastpitch, it takes a while to dilute the value of those cheap ones.



I like your bottom-line way of thinking, but I'd be concerned about the fact that RBI (and runs also, to a lesser extent) are statistics of opportunity. Two hitters batting .350 w/ a .500 slugging percentage will have very different RBI/Run totals if you bat one third and the other seventh. That's why I like OPS. But if you gave me your hitter with the most runs + RBI, I'd trust that I got a really good player.

With respect to the bold above, I'd agree that you'd likely identify one of the team's best hitters; however, the competition level those stats have been achieved against is not quantifiable and may or may not be comparable. In my state, CT, the conferences are geographic, but state tourney has 4 classes based on school size. I've seen a number of "all conference players" who are completely outclassed when they play a similar sized school from another conference i.e., not unusual to see #20 something seeds run rule top 10 seed teams in the small school class.

FWIW, one of my favorite team stat aberrations is the number of reached on errors (ROEs) versus errors committed. When there's a major disparity (i.e., it appears that a team only plays against gold glove caliber defenses while their own defense plays gloveless) it often highlights the application of inconsistent scoring criteria.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I like your bottom-line way of thinking, but I'd be concerned about the fact that RBI (and runs also, to a lesser extent) are statistics of opportunity. Two hitters batting .350 w/ a .500 slugging percentage will have very different RBI/Run totals if you bat one third and the other seventh. That's why I like OPS. But if you gave me your hitter with the most runs + RBI, I'd trust that I got a really good player.

Yes sir, good points. Please forgive as my mind is "off" tonight. Leaving tomorrow for that huge HS tourney and SS found out today she's gotta have surgery, 2b left prac early do to knee problems, DD is in question pitching ( ok ) with that dang mask.

The lull in my theory is the 7-8 batter. We put the highest OB in the 1-2, the highest RBI in 3-6. #9 is my floater. My floater has a good/decent/better than 7-8 OB%, then that increases my 1-2 who have the best OB to move her or score.

Don't have my figures in front of me but I remember 9-5 scored around 70 % of our runs last year.

Now that's for HS. Funny thing is in travel lots of times I'd put a power slot ( high stats ) hitter in the 9 slot. Seems like with the 75 min games we would always be at the bottom of the order when time was close and the game was on the line. Lol

 

[lstorie1971]

As a coach, I think you want as much information as you can to properly evaluate a player, so all of the stats are important as long as you can reliably trust the scorekeeper to be fairly accurate. Some batting stats I like are OBS (OBP & Slugging%), BA, ratio of hits to strikeouts, and QAB

You didnt ask but for Pitching: WHIP, ERA, strikeouts to walks ratio, and opponents BA are key for me.

What about POPAWOPBIP?