Batting Average

[TorontoCFE]

I get what you're saying. Just don't agree that there is any value in a strikeout in Softball. Maybe MLB, where pitch counts come into play, there is a value in working the count. But of all the things I worry about during a game, pitch count is pretty far down the list.
Bases loaded, 1 out. Batter sees 7 pitches before striking out. Are you happy as a coach? I'm not. So why is it a QAB and a rocket line drive to the SS isn't?
Just a difference in perspective, I guess.

A rocket line drive to SS is a QAB.
The biggest component of QAB is a hard hit ball.

 

[Jquick823]

Ted Williams would disgaree. He was a firm believer in seeing as many pitches as possible, even if that meant taking a strike or 2, even if that meant going 0 for 2 in your first 2 AB's.

But Fastpitch and Baseball are two different sports that use similar equipment and rules. An out is an out in both, but pitch count in Softball doesn't exist. LL WS for baseball they have X number of rest days after 60 pitches where as Softball does not. So yes going 0-2 and being a good 2 strike hitter in baseball matters because of pitch count.

Most coaches would say in softball that if you can hit I have a spot in my order for you regardless of what else you do. I don't track QAB. I don't think a 15 pitch marathon at bat in a game with time limits is quality. Most TB games only go 5 innings because of time.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Agreed QB's is a useful stat.

I tell my pitchers the perfect game is 21 pitches that result in an out. 21 strikeouts is too much work.

 

[Jquick823]

Quality At-Bats Defined | Brian Cain

An example of how a QAB is defined.

 

[TorontoCFE]

I'm a Steve Springer disciple.

Batting average is a horrible metric compared to QAB.

 

[nobrainhamster]

Qab

Gamechanger's QAB, or Quality At Bats, is useless in my opinion. In last years TB and HS team, the person with the most K's also had the most QAB. My DD, who is not a patient batter, led the HS team in BA, OBP, Runs, but was next to last in QAB. So it appears that it is better to see a lot of pitches and fail than to smack the first good pitch for a hit, based on QAB.

That's a little off topic, but...

Iscore allows the scorer to choose from a list of things what will constitute a QAB. Actually you can keep two different stats (QAB1 and QAB2). A menu comes out and you can check the ones you want to be a part of the stat. I love that. Of course, as with any stat, if you don't know something of the actual results from the AB's the information is useless. If a player sees alot of pitches, but doesn't convert them to something positive in the end then it's not quality.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

But Fastpitch and Baseball are two different sports that use similar equipment and rules. An out is an out in both, but pitch count in Softball doesn't exist. LL WS for baseball they have X number of rest days after 60 pitches where as Softball does not. So yes going 0-2 and being a good 2 strike hitter in baseball matters because of pitch count.

Most coaches would say in softball that if you can hit I have a spot in my order for you regardless of what else you do. I don't track QAB. I don't think a 15 pitch marathon at bat in a game with time limits is quality. Most TB games only go 5 innings because of time.

Williams didn't care about pitch counts. Hell, they practically didn't exist in the 30's and 40's. He cared about seeing as many pitches as possible in order to understand the pitcher. So a 15 pitch AB that ends in a K may seem useless now, but what about her next AB?

While there are huge differences between BB and FP, the differences in philosophies of being a good hitter are vanishingly small.

 

[JAD]

I get what you're saying. Just don't agree that there is any value in a strikeout in Softball. Maybe MLB, where pitch counts come into play, there is a value in working the count. But of all the things I worry about during a game, pitch count is pretty far down the list.
Bases loaded, 1 out. Batter sees 7 pitches before striking out. Are you happy as a coach? I'm not. So why is it a QAB and a rocket line drive to the SS isn't?
Just a difference in perspective, I guess.

In the 7th inning of a tied ball game would you rather face an ace pitcher throwing her 80th pitch to lead off the inning, or her 140th?

 

[CoogansBluff]

Is that a realistic question, though?

How many more pitches can a 'patient' team force on the opposing pitcher in 7 innings? And at what expense?

Let's say your goal is to take more pitches and make the pitcher work. That is a little different than conventional strategy of attacking the first good pitch to hit. It means taking strikes, getting down in the count, which lessens your chances of getting hits.

So, in essence, you are risking making more outs early in hopes of getting better pitches later.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Is that a realistic question, though?

How many more pitches can a 'patient' team force on the opposing pitcher in 7 innings? And at what expense?

Let's say your goal is to take more pitches and make the pitcher work. That is a little different than conventional strategy of attacking the first good pitch to hit. It means taking strikes, getting down in the count, which lessens your chances of getting hits.

So, in essence, you are risking making more outs early in hopes of getting better pitches later.

Perhaps you are referring to school ball vs. tournament ball. In a one game setting there is some merit to attacking early in the count.

When you are playing the fourth game on a Sunday I will take all the QB's I can get. The #1 pitcher can only throw so many pitches a weekend.