- Feb 12, 2014
- 648
- 43
I know there are a variety of formulas that coaches use to determine quality ABs but almost all that I have ever seen include some nod to long ABs. Gamechanger uses both 6+ pitch ABs and 3+ pitches after two strikes as quality ABs. I recently saw Matt Lisle post a Notre Dame formula that included 8+ pitch ABs and 4+ pitches after going down 0-2 as quality ABs.
Why are these important in softball? I get that in baseball you benefit from driving up pitch counts whenever possible, but this is not a big part of softball. If an AB lasts 10 pitches and still ends in a strike out looking, that is not a quality AB in my mind. In Gamechanger, a batter does not get credit for hitting a groundball behind a runner to move that runner up but they get a quality AB for striking out looking with a runner on 2nd if they see 3 pitches after having two strikes. Just doesn't make any sense to me. Am I missing something?
Why are these important in softball? I get that in baseball you benefit from driving up pitch counts whenever possible, but this is not a big part of softball. If an AB lasts 10 pitches and still ends in a strike out looking, that is not a quality AB in my mind. In Gamechanger, a batter does not get credit for hitting a groundball behind a runner to move that runner up but they get a quality AB for striking out looking with a runner on 2nd if they see 3 pitches after having two strikes. Just doesn't make any sense to me. Am I missing something?