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Last week we looked at the masters of the “swinging strike (blocked),” the pitchers who were best able to induce swings at balls in the dirt in 2016. I won’t rehash the genesis of this examination, as you can read about that in last week’s piece; suffice it to say, a particularly wild day from Edwin Diaz earlier this year was the motivator. Today, with a tip of the cap to swing-at-anything legend Vladimir Guerrero, we use the same criteria to examine which batters were most and least susceptible to baseball’s unhittable pitch — a ball in the dirt.
As it was last week, the data sets used here are all relatively simple Baseball Savant queries. I’ll just quote the methodology exactly as it was written in the previous piece.
Find the total number of pitches classified in MLB.com’s Gameday as either “Ball In Dirt” or “Swinging Strike (Blocked)” then divide the whiffs — swinging strike (blocked) — from that total number of balls in the dirt. We’ll call it the “Whiffs to Balls in Dirt Rate,” listed as WH/BD % on the following leaderboards.
The only difference this time is that we changed the search from pitchers to batters. Without further ado, the leaderboards.
WH/BD % Leaderboard: Overall
Player | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | WH/BD % |
---|---|---|---|
Player | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | WH/BD % |
Tyler Naquin | 34 | 21 | 61.8% |
Mallex Smith | 28 | 16 | 57.1% |
Andrew Romine | 27 | 15 | 55.6% |
Derek Dietrich | 46 | 24 | 52.2% |
Dee Gordon | 29 | 15 | 51.7% |
Freddy Galvis | 76 | 39 | 51.3% |
Tim Anderson | 49 | 25 | 51.0% |
Jimmy Paredes | 28 | 14 | 50.0% |
James McCann | 47 | 23 | 48.9% |
Adam Jones | 74 | 36 | 48.6% |
Tommy Pham | 29 | 14 | 48.3% |
Adam Lind | 54 | 26 | 48.1% |
Jake Marisnick | 25 | 12 | 48.0% |
Lonnie Chisenhall | 46 | 22 | 47.8% |
Chris Johnson | 44 | 21 | 47.7% |
Eddie Rosario | 42 | 20 | 47.6% |
Salvador Perez | 73 | 34 | 46.6% |
Christian Bethancourt | 28 | 13 | 46.4% |
Gerardo Parra | 39 | 18 | 46.2% |
Odubel Herrera | 66 | 30 | 45.5% |
Jake Lamb | 86 | 39 | 45.3% |
Adam Eaton | 64 | 29 | 45.3% |
Ryon Healy | 31 | 14 | 45.2% |
Byron Buxton | 50 | 22 | 44.0% |
Jarrod Saltalamacchia | 30 | 13 | 43.3% |
Danny Santana | 28 | 12 | 42.9% |
Dioner Navarro | 47 | 20 | 42.6% |
Jon Jay | 33 | 14 | 42.4% |
Scooter Gennett | 69 | 29 | 42.0% |
Gregorio Petit | 31 | 13 | 41.9% |
Juan Uribe | 29 | 12 | 41.4% |
Whit Merrifield | 46 | 19 | 41.3% |
Randal Grichuk | 80 | 33 | 41.3% |
Corey Dickerson | 66 | 27 | 40.9% |
Javier Baez | 71 | 29 | 40.8% |
Phil Gosselin | 27 | 11 | 40.7% |
Carlos Gomez | 69 | 28 | 40.6% |
Eduardo Escobar | 47 | 19 | 40.4% |
Chris Davis | 73 | 29 | 39.7% |
Brett Wallace | 33 | 13 | 39.4% |
Tyler Holt | 28 | 11 | 39.3% |
Brandon Moss | 79 | 31 | 39.2% |
Hernan Perez | 51 | 20 | 39.2% |
Eric Hosmer | 90 | 35 | 38.9% |
Justin Morneau | 34 | 13 | 38.2% |
Rajai Davis | 55 | 21 | 38.2% |
Zack Cozart | 37 | 14 | 37.8% |
Matt Adams | 48 | 18 | 37.5% |
Kendrys Morales | 107 | 40 | 37.4% |
David Dahl | 35 | 13 | 37.1% |
Carlos Gonzalez | 81 | 30 | 37.0% |
Andres Blanco | 27 | 10 | 37.0% |
Chase d'Arnaud | 41 | 15 | 36.6% |
Yoenis Cespedes | 74 | 27 | 36.5% |
Robinson Cano | 94 | 34 | 36.2% |
Paulo Orlando | 50 | 18 | 36.0% |
Ketel Marte | 50 | 18 | 36.0% |
Johnny Giavotella | 25 | 9 | 36.0% |
Evan Gattis | 64 | 23 | 35.9% |
Starlin Castro | 92 | 33 | 35.9% |
Colby Rasmus | 56 | 20 | 35.7% |
Prince Fielder | 42 | 15 | 35.7% |
Chris Herrmann | 28 | 10 | 35.7% |
Melky Cabrera | 59 | 21 | 35.6% |
Scott Schebler | 34 | 12 | 35.3% |
Stephen Vogt | 54 | 19 | 35.2% |
Alejandro De Aza | 37 | 13 | 35.1% |
Howie Kendrick | 57 | 20 | 35.1% |
Brandon Drury | 57 | 20 | 35.1% |
Sandy Leon | 40 | 14 | 35.0% |
Jackie Bradley Jr. | 69 | 24 | 34.8% |
Ryan Schimpf | 55 | 19 | 34.5% |
Brad Miller | 79 | 27 | 34.2% |
Kolten Wong | 41 | 14 | 34.1% |
Eugenio Suarez | 65 | 22 | 33.8% |
Ian Desmond | 68 | 23 | 33.8% |
Evan Longoria | 74 | 25 | 33.8% |
Jose Abreu | 132 | 44 | 33.3% |
Yasmani Grandal | 87 | 29 | 33.3% |
Corey Seager | 87 | 29 | 33.3% |
Jason Kipnis | 69 | 23 | 33.3% |
Curtis Granderson | 69 | 23 | 33.3% |
Brett Lawrie | 57 | 19 | 33.3% |
Erick Aybar | 45 | 15 | 33.3% |
Jed Lowrie | 36 | 12 | 33.3% |
Yan Gomes | 33 | 11 | 33.3% |
Abraham Almonte | 30 | 10 | 33.3% |
Charlie Blackmon | 55 | 18 | 32.7% |
Gary Sanchez | 49 | 16 | 32.7% |
Brock Holt | 43 | 14 | 32.6% |
Willson Contreras | 40 | 13 | 32.5% |
Tucker Barnhart | 37 | 12 | 32.4% |
Jose Reyes | 28 | 9 | 32.1% |
Christian Vazquez | 25 | 8 | 32.0% |
Tony Wolters | 25 | 8 | 32.0% |
Yangervis Solarte | 41 | 13 | 31.7% |
Starling Marte | 60 | 19 | 31.7% |
Gregory Polanco | 70 | 22 | 31.4% |
Kole Calhoun | 102 | 32 | 31.4% |
Nick Castellanos | 61 | 19 | 31.1% |
Rougned Odor | 84 | 26 | 31.0% |
Todd Frazier | 68 | 21 | 30.9% |
Trevor Story | 68 | 21 | 30.9% |
Jonathan Lucroy | 65 | 20 | 30.8% |
Miguel Montero | 26 | 8 | 30.8% |
C.J. Cron | 62 | 19 | 30.6% |
Alexei Ramirez | 49 | 15 | 30.6% |
Matt Duffy | 49 | 15 | 30.6% |
Tyler Saladino | 36 | 11 | 30.6% |
Jose Altuve | 56 | 17 | 30.4% |
Alcides Escobar | 66 | 20 | 30.3% |
Alex Bregman | 33 | 10 | 30.3% |
Peter Bourjos | 33 | 10 | 30.3% |
Danny Espinosa | 90 | 27 | 30.0% |
Adonis Garcia | 80 | 24 | 30.0% |
Ryan Braun | 70 | 21 | 30.0% |
Eduardo Nunez | 60 | 18 | 30.0% |
Kirk Nieuwenhuis | 60 | 18 | 30.0% |
Jeff Francoeur | 50 | 15 | 30.0% |
Jean Segura | 64 | 19 | 29.7% |
J.D. Martinez | 81 | 24 | 29.6% |
Max Kepler | 54 | 16 | 29.6% |
Jason Castro | 54 | 16 | 29.6% |
Michael Conforto | 44 | 13 | 29.5% |
Pedro Alvarez | 62 | 18 | 29.0% |
Enrique Hernandez | 28 | 8 | 28.6% |
Ender Inciarte | 57 | 16 | 28.1% |
Travis Shaw | 75 | 21 | 28.0% |
Devon Travis | 50 | 14 | 28.0% |
Alex Avila | 25 | 7 | 28.0% |
Addison Russell | 68 | 19 | 27.9% |
Logan Morrison | 36 | 10 | 27.8% |
Giancarlo Stanton | 87 | 24 | 27.6% |
Jonathan Schoop | 66 | 18 | 27.3% |
Bobby Wilson | 33 | 9 | 27.3% |
Asdrubal Cabrera | 67 | 18 | 26.9% |
Brandon Crawford | 108 | 29 | 26.9% |
Danny Valencia | 82 | 22 | 26.8% |
Chris Coghlan | 41 | 11 | 26.8% |
Mike Trout | 101 | 27 | 26.7% |
Jacoby Ellsbury | 60 | 16 | 26.7% |
Oswaldo Arcia | 30 | 8 | 26.7% |
Mikie Mahtook | 30 | 8 | 26.7% |
Maikel Franco | 98 | 26 | 26.5% |
Alex Gordon | 49 | 13 | 26.5% |
Billy Hamilton | 34 | 9 | 26.5% |
Brian McCann | 53 | 14 | 26.4% |
Carlos Beltran | 76 | 20 | 26.3% |
Kevin Pillar | 65 | 17 | 26.2% |
Nomar Mazara | 73 | 19 | 26.0% |
Matt Holliday | 50 | 13 | 26.0% |
Steven Souza Jr. | 54 | 14 | 25.9% |
Ivan De Jesus Jr. | 27 | 7 | 25.9% |
Welington Castillo | 58 | 15 | 25.9% |
Elvis Andrus | 62 | 16 | 25.8% |
Mike Zunino | 31 | 8 | 25.8% |
Gregor Blanco | 35 | 9 | 25.7% |
Didi Gregorius | 39 | 10 | 25.6% |
Matt Wieters | 43 | 11 | 25.6% |
Mark Trumbo | 98 | 25 | 25.5% |
Stephen Piscotty | 106 | 27 | 25.5% |
Avisail Garcia | 71 | 18 | 25.4% |
Xander Bogaerts | 104 | 26 | 25.0% |
Matt Kemp | 96 | 24 | 25.0% |
Marwin Gonzalez | 84 | 21 | 25.0% |
Michael Saunders | 68 | 17 | 25.0% |
Ryan Rua | 40 | 10 | 25.0% |
Orlando Arcia | 40 | 10 | 25.0% |
Nick Ahmed | 28 | 7 | 25.0% |
Justin Upton | 77 | 19 | 24.7% |
Cheslor Cuthbert | 57 | 14 | 24.6% |
Jace Peterson | 45 | 11 | 24.4% |
Kelly Johnson | 37 | 9 | 24.3% |
Mitch Moreland | 70 | 17 | 24.3% |
Ryan Zimmerman | 66 | 16 | 24.2% |
Norichika Aoki | 33 | 8 | 24.2% |
Chris Owings | 54 | 13 | 24.1% |
Joc Pederson | 75 | 18 | 24.0% |
Conor Gillaspie | 25 | 6 | 24.0% |
Coco Crisp | 42 | 10 | 23.8% |
Aaron Altherr | 42 | 10 | 23.8% |
Leonys Martin | 59 | 14 | 23.7% |
Justin Smoak | 38 | 9 | 23.7% |
Nelson Cruz | 110 | 26 | 23.6% |
Josh Reddick | 51 | 12 | 23.5% |
Marcell Ozuna | 98 | 23 | 23.5% |
Rene Rivera | 30 | 7 | 23.3% |
Ichiro Suzuki | 30 | 7 | 23.3% |
Daniel Descalso | 43 | 10 | 23.3% |
Jayson Werth | 78 | 18 | 23.1% |
Byungho Park | 39 | 9 | 23.1% |
Carlos Ruiz | 26 | 6 | 23.1% |
Austin Jackson | 26 | 6 | 23.1% |
Jarrod Dyson | 26 | 6 | 23.1% |
Cristhian Adames | 35 | 8 | 22.9% |
Adam Duvall | 79 | 18 | 22.8% |
Travis Jankowski | 44 | 10 | 22.7% |
Jarrett Parker | 31 | 7 | 22.6% |
Lorenzo Cain | 71 | 16 | 22.5% |
Jose Iglesias | 40 | 9 | 22.5% |
Manny Machado | 98 | 22 | 22.4% |
Jason Heyward | 49 | 11 | 22.4% |
Cesar Hernandez | 58 | 13 | 22.4% |
Yasmany Tomas | 81 | 18 | 22.2% |
Tyler White | 36 | 8 | 22.2% |
Robbie Grossman | 36 | 8 | 22.2% |
Jake Smolinski | 27 | 6 | 22.2% |
Tim Beckham | 27 | 6 | 22.2% |
Jedd Gyorko | 68 | 15 | 22.1% |
Matt Carpenter | 68 | 15 | 22.1% |
Neil Walker | 59 | 13 | 22.0% |
Cameron Rupp | 50 | 11 | 22.0% |
Seth Smith | 64 | 14 | 21.9% |
Sean Rodriguez | 46 | 10 | 21.7% |
Yadier Molina | 46 | 10 | 21.7% |
Gordon Beckham | 37 | 8 | 21.6% |
Michael Bourn | 51 | 11 | 21.6% |
DJ LeMahieu | 51 | 11 | 21.6% |
Jose Ramirez | 65 | 14 | 21.5% |
Anthony Rendon | 79 | 17 | 21.5% |
Christian Yelich | 93 | 20 | 21.5% |
Chris Carter | 107 | 23 | 21.5% |
Alex Rodriguez | 28 | 6 | 21.4% |
Adeiny Hechavarria | 47 | 10 | 21.3% |
Marcus Semien | 71 | 15 | 21.1% |
Freddie Freeman | 90 | 19 | 21.1% |
Trea Turner | 38 | 8 | 21.1% |
Daniel Murphy | 72 | 15 | 20.8% |
Dae-Ho Lee | 48 | 10 | 20.8% |
Chase Utley | 48 | 10 | 20.8% |
Greg Garcia | 29 | 6 | 20.7% |
Miguel Sano | 92 | 19 | 20.7% |
Wilson Ramos | 68 | 14 | 20.6% |
Hanley Ramirez | 73 | 15 | 20.5% |
Josh Harrison | 44 | 9 | 20.5% |
Derek Norris | 49 | 10 | 20.4% |
Logan Forsythe | 49 | 10 | 20.4% |
Mark Reynolds | 74 | 15 | 20.3% |
Bryce Harper | 70 | 14 | 20.0% |
Jonathan Villar | 70 | 14 | 20.0% |
Chase Headley | 55 | 11 | 20.0% |
Ryan Raburn | 45 | 9 | 20.0% |
Yasiel Puig | 40 | 8 | 20.0% |
Steve Pearce | 40 | 8 | 20.0% |
Matt Szczur | 30 | 6 | 20.0% |
Nolan Arenado | 101 | 20 | 19.8% |
Kyle Seager | 86 | 17 | 19.8% |
Khris Davis | 76 | 15 | 19.7% |
Anthony Rizzo | 107 | 21 | 19.6% |
Joe Mauer | 51 | 10 | 19.6% |
Brian Dozier | 82 | 16 | 19.5% |
J.T. Realmuto | 62 | 12 | 19.4% |
Alex Dickerson | 31 | 6 | 19.4% |
Jung Ho Kang | 52 | 10 | 19.2% |
Jay Bruce | 73 | 14 | 19.2% |
David Freese | 73 | 14 | 19.2% |
John Jaso | 47 | 9 | 19.1% |
George Springer | 84 | 16 | 19.0% |
Nick Markakis | 63 | 12 | 19.0% |
Denard Span | 64 | 12 | 18.8% |
Yunel Escobar | 48 | 9 | 18.8% |
Justin Bour | 32 | 6 | 18.8% |
Ian Kinsler | 59 | 11 | 18.6% |
Carlos Correa | 102 | 19 | 18.6% |
Kevin Kiermaier | 43 | 8 | 18.6% |
Curt Casali | 49 | 9 | 18.4% |
Brett Gardner | 71 | 13 | 18.3% |
Nick Hundley | 55 | 10 | 18.2% |
Ryan Howard | 33 | 6 | 18.2% |
Adam Rosales | 33 | 6 | 18.2% |
Adrian Gonzalez | 78 | 14 | 17.9% |
Mac Williamson | 28 | 5 | 17.9% |
Yonder Alonso | 62 | 11 | 17.7% |
Brandon Belt | 102 | 18 | 17.6% |
Hunter Pence | 91 | 16 | 17.6% |
Brandon Phillips | 80 | 14 | 17.5% |
Troy Tulowitzki | 86 | 15 | 17.4% |
Adrian Beltre | 69 | 12 | 17.4% |
Angel Pagan | 46 | 8 | 17.4% |
Martin Maldonado | 29 | 5 | 17.2% |
Miguel Cabrera | 82 | 14 | 17.1% |
Tommy Joseph | 41 | 7 | 17.1% |
Tyler Flowers | 41 | 7 | 17.1% |
Dustin Pedroia | 88 | 15 | 17.0% |
Mike Napoli | 78 | 13 | 16.7% |
Melvin Upton Jr. | 48 | 8 | 16.7% |
Keon Broxton | 30 | 5 | 16.7% |
Joe Panik | 62 | 10 | 16.1% |
David Ortiz | 87 | 14 | 16.1% |
Trayce Thompson | 38 | 6 | 15.8% |
Victor Martinez | 90 | 14 | 15.6% |
Francisco Lindor | 79 | 12 | 15.2% |
Justin Turner | 79 | 12 | 15.2% |
Kris Bryant | 106 | 16 | 15.1% |
Martin Prado | 60 | 9 | 15.0% |
Jefry Marte | 40 | 6 | 15.0% |
Josh Donaldson | 114 | 17 | 14.9% |
Jordy Mercer | 68 | 10 | 14.7% |
Joey Votto | 68 | 10 | 14.7% |
Aaron Hill | 56 | 8 | 14.3% |
Jurickson Profar | 42 | 6 | 14.3% |
Andrew McCutchen | 93 | 13 | 14.0% |
Mookie Betts | 93 | 13 | 14.0% |
Kurt Suzuki | 36 | 5 | 13.9% |
Albert Pujols | 109 | 15 | 13.8% |
Wilmer Flores | 37 | 5 | 13.5% |
Ben Zobrist | 82 | 11 | 13.4% |
Nolan Reimold | 30 | 4 | 13.3% |
James Loney | 38 | 5 | 13.2% |
Jorge Soler | 46 | 6 | 13.0% |
Hyun Soo Kim | 47 | 6 | 12.8% |
Aledmys Diaz | 63 | 8 | 12.7% |
Buster Posey | 88 | 11 | 12.5% |
Franklin Gutierrez | 48 | 6 | 12.5% |
Chris Iannetta | 53 | 6 | 11.3% |
Edwin Encarnacion | 108 | 12 | 11.1% |
Clint Robinson | 36 | 4 | 11.1% |
Rickie Weeks Jr. | 27 | 3 | 11.1% |
Chris Young | 27 | 3 | 11.1% |
Billy Butler | 28 | 3 | 10.7% |
Francisco Cervelli | 58 | 6 | 10.3% |
Carlos Santana | 79 | 8 | 10.1% |
Russell Martin | 80 | 8 | 10.0% |
Travis d'Arnaud | 40 | 4 | 10.0% |
Andrelton Simmons | 41 | 4 | 9.8% |
Mark Teixeira | 52 | 5 | 9.6% |
Cameron Maybin | 32 | 3 | 9.4% |
Aaron Hicks | 32 | 3 | 9.4% |
Dexter Fowler | 54 | 5 | 9.3% |
Wil Myers | 76 | 7 | 9.2% |
Ramon Flores | 27 | 2 | 7.4% |
Ezequiel Carrera | 41 | 3 | 7.3% |
Jose Bautista | 72 | 5 | 6.9% |
Trevor Plouffe | 29 | 2 | 6.9% |
Matt Joyce | 47 | 3 | 6.4% |
J.J. Hardy | 49 | 3 | 6.1% |
Jhonny Peralta | 39 | 2 | 5.1% |
Luis Valbuena | 28 | 1 | 3.6% |
Paul Goldschmidt | 93 | 3 | 3.2% |
Tyler Naquin claims the top spot, as he swings and misses at 61.8 percent of the total pitches in the dirt he sees. There are nine players with a whiffs-to-balls-in-dirt rate above 50 percent and while one of them is a former batting champion — remember how Dee Gordon won a batting title!? — none of them are especially known for having top-tier plate discipline.
The uppermost portion of this list isn’t filled with the league’s poorest offensive players. In the top 50 we see names like Adam Jones, Chris Davis Jake Lamb, Adam Eaton, and Odubel Herrera. These are all quality, productive major league hitters who don’t have outlandishly above-average swing rates in general — even Chris Davis, despite the strikeout rate and possibly valid preconceived notions — but they are apparently vulnerable to balls in the dirt.
If you go ahead and sort by the lowest “WH/DB %” on the leaderboard you’ll find Paul Goldschmidt, the king of laying off balls in the dirt. Goldschmidt saw 93 pitches of this nature last year and only swung at three of them. Three. Total. There were 14 other players who tallied a whiffs-to-balls-in-dirt rate below 10 percent, but none of them saw near as many pitches as Goldy. As you can see from the scatter plot below with some outliers highlighted, Goldschmidt is in a class all his own.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8435323/Wiffs_Pitches_Chart.png)
The sample sizes are generally pretty small here, as they encompass a snapshot of just one season, and they’re going to be even smaller as we move forward to parse the data in regard to count and pitch type. But a snapshot of data, even if it can’t be extrapolated to definitive conclusions, can still be informative.
Now we’ll take a look at whiffs-to-balls-in-dirt rate in certain contexts. The minimums have been dropped as they all represent smaller pieces of the overall leaderboard.
WH/BD % Leaderboard: Hitter Ahead
Player | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | WH/BD % |
---|---|---|---|
Player | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | WH/BD % |
Odubel Herrera | 14 | 7 | 50.0% |
Christian Yelich | 11 | 5 | 45.5% |
David Freese | 11 | 5 | 45.5% |
Rougned Odor | 12 | 4 | 33.3% |
Brandon Crawford | 12 | 4 | 33.3% |
Eric Hosmer | 20 | 6 | 30.0% |
Carlos Correa | 21 | 6 | 28.6% |
Jose Ramirez | 11 | 3 | 27.3% |
Jose Abreu | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
Kole Calhoun | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
Carlos Gonzalez | 14 | 3 | 21.4% |
Lorenzo Cain | 14 | 3 | 21.4% |
Adam Eaton | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
Adonis Garcia | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
Mike Napoli | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
Giancarlo Stanton | 22 | 4 | 18.2% |
Kendrys Morales | 11 | 2 | 18.2% |
Hunter Pence | 17 | 3 | 17.6% |
Marcell Ozuna | 17 | 3 | 17.6% |
Robinson Cano | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
Ryan Braun | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
Jay Bruce | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
Joey Votto | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
Chris Davis | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
Albert Pujols | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
George Springer | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
Brad Miller | 14 | 2 | 14.3% |
Miguel Cabrera | 14 | 2 | 14.3% |
Xander Bogaerts | 14 | 2 | 14.3% |
Mark Trumbo | 15 | 2 | 13.3% |
Hanley Ramirez | 15 | 2 | 13.3% |
Victor Martinez | 16 | 2 | 12.5% |
Starlin Castro | 16 | 2 | 12.5% |
Nolan Arenado | 16 | 2 | 12.5% |
Anthony Rizzo | 18 | 2 | 11.1% |
Freddie Freeman | 19 | 2 | 10.5% |
Maikel Franco | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
Carlos Gomez | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
Matt Kemp | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
Dustin Pedroia | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
Chris Young | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
Brian Dozier | 11 | 1 | 9.1% |
Chris Carter | 11 | 1 | 9.1% |
Troy Tulowitzki | 11 | 1 | 9.1% |
Aaron Hill | 11 | 1 | 9.1% |
Aaron Altherr | 11 | 1 | 9.1% |
Adrian Gonzalez | 11 | 1 | 9.1% |
Yasmani Grandal | 12 | 1 | 8.3% |
Curtis Granderson | 12 | 1 | 8.3% |
Jason Heyward | 13 | 1 | 7.7% |
Marcus Semien | 13 | 1 | 7.7% |
Edwin Encarnacion | 14 | 1 | 7.1% |
Andrew McCutchen | 14 | 1 | 7.1% |
Stephen Piscotty | 15 | 1 | 6.7% |
Danny Valencia | 15 | 1 | 6.7% |
Mookie Betts | 16 | 1 | 6.3% |
Paul Goldschmidt | 22 | 1 | 4.5% |
Carlos Santana | 18 | 0 | 0.0% |
Josh Donaldson | 17 | 0 | 0.0% |
David Ortiz | 15 | 0 | 0.0% |
Kris Bryant | 15 | 0 | 0.0% |
Miguel Sano | 14 | 0 | 0.0% |
Ben Zobrist | 14 | 0 | 0.0% |
Bryce Harper | 14 | 0 | 0.0% |
Angel Pagan | 13 | 0 | 0.0% |
Jason Kipnis | 13 | 0 | 0.0% |
Joe Panik | 13 | 0 | 0.0% |
Manny Machado | 13 | 0 | 0.0% |
Brandon Belt | 13 | 0 | 0.0% |
Justin Turner | 12 | 0 | 0.0% |
Jordy Mercer | 12 | 0 | 0.0% |
Travis Shaw | 12 | 0 | 0.0% |
Jose Bautista | 12 | 0 | 0.0% |
Cheslor Cuthbert | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
Daniel Murphy | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
Buster Posey | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
Ryan Zimmerman | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
Chris Iannetta | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Nick Hundley | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Mike Trout | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Kyle Seager | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Jake Lamb | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Jhonny Peralta | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
You’re not going to see a lot of intentional pitches in the dirt when the hitter is ahead. The batter is shrinking his zone and looking for a good pitch to hit and the pitcher is generally looking to throw strikes and get back into a competitive count. That said, if you’re a big league hurler who has fallen behind to Odubel Herrera, it’s not crazy to throw one in the dirt and hope he’ll chase, as it happened half the time in 2016.
It’s interesting to see Christian Yelich here, as he’s not thought of as a free-swinger. His swing rates are generally a little below league average and he is regarded as one of the game’s best hitters. In a small sample like this sometimes unexpected names will pop-up, and we can’t really make sweeping judgements about these smaller context outcomes. While Herrera is 21st on the overall leaderboard, having faced a total of 66 balls in the dirt in 2016, Yelich doesn’t appear because he didn’t face even 25.
Is Yelich more susceptible to chasing a ball in the dirt when he’s ahead in the count? Maybe. He’s such a tough out in general that in a low leverage situation it might be at least worth trying a spiked curveball on 2–0 or 3–1.
WH/BD % Leaderboard: Hitter Behind
Player | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | WH/BD % |
---|---|---|---|
Player | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | WH/BD % |
Adam Eaton | 28 | 21 | 75.0% |
Andrew Romine | 20 | 14 | 70.0% |
Freddy Galvis | 41 | 28 | 68.3% |
Whit Merrifield | 26 | 17 | 65.4% |
Adam Lind | 28 | 18 | 64.3% |
Tim Anderson | 21 | 13 | 61.9% |
James McCann | 30 | 18 | 60.0% |
Gerardo Parra | 28 | 16 | 57.1% |
Eddie Rosario | 21 | 12 | 57.1% |
Lonnie Chisenhall | 21 | 12 | 57.1% |
Curtis Granderson | 30 | 17 | 56.7% |
Prince Fielder | 23 | 13 | 56.5% |
Jake Lamb | 40 | 22 | 55.0% |
Chris Johnson | 20 | 11 | 55.0% |
Hernan Perez | 26 | 14 | 53.8% |
Chris Davis | 28 | 15 | 53.6% |
Paulo Orlando | 28 | 15 | 53.6% |
Howie Kendrick | 30 | 16 | 53.3% |
Corey Dickerson | 30 | 16 | 53.3% |
Eric Hosmer | 30 | 16 | 53.3% |
Carlos Gomez | 34 | 18 | 52.9% |
Brandon Moss | 36 | 19 | 52.8% |
Adam Jones | 42 | 22 | 52.4% |
Yan Gomes | 21 | 11 | 52.4% |
Brandon Drury | 25 | 13 | 52.0% |
Jason Kipnis | 27 | 14 | 51.9% |
Byron Buxton | 31 | 16 | 51.6% |
Starlin Castro | 43 | 22 | 51.2% |
Yasmani Grandal | 40 | 20 | 50.0% |
Evan Gattis | 30 | 15 | 50.0% |
Alcides Escobar | 26 | 13 | 50.0% |
Dioner Navarro | 26 | 13 | 50.0% |
Rajai Davis | 29 | 14 | 48.3% |
Willson Contreras | 23 | 11 | 47.8% |
Erick Aybar | 23 | 11 | 47.8% |
Ian Desmond | 38 | 18 | 47.4% |
Carlos Beltran | 35 | 16 | 45.7% |
Scooter Gennett | 33 | 15 | 45.5% |
Carlos Gonzalez | 33 | 15 | 45.5% |
Eduardo Escobar | 20 | 9 | 45.0% |
Charlie Blackmon | 20 | 9 | 45.0% |
Jackie Bradley Jr. | 29 | 13 | 44.8% |
Randal Grichuk | 45 | 20 | 44.4% |
Yoenis Cespedes | 36 | 16 | 44.4% |
Colby Rasmus | 27 | 12 | 44.4% |
Ryan Schimpf | 27 | 12 | 44.4% |
Robinson Cano | 43 | 19 | 44.2% |
Justin Morneau | 23 | 10 | 43.5% |
Brad Miller | 30 | 13 | 43.3% |
Rougned Odor | 42 | 18 | 42.9% |
Salvador Perez | 42 | 18 | 42.9% |
David Dahl | 21 | 9 | 42.9% |
Melky Cabrera | 26 | 11 | 42.3% |
Chase d'Arnaud | 24 | 10 | 41.7% |
Chris Owings | 24 | 10 | 41.7% |
Javier Baez | 41 | 17 | 41.5% |
Todd Frazier | 27 | 11 | 40.7% |
Stephen Vogt | 27 | 11 | 40.7% |
Giancarlo Stanton | 30 | 12 | 40.0% |
Pedro Alvarez | 25 | 10 | 40.0% |
Brett Wallace | 20 | 8 | 40.0% |
Kole Calhoun | 46 | 18 | 39.1% |
Yadier Molina | 23 | 9 | 39.1% |
Matt Adams | 23 | 9 | 39.1% |
Corey Seager | 31 | 12 | 38.7% |
Kendrys Morales | 44 | 17 | 38.6% |
Eugenio Suarez | 39 | 15 | 38.5% |
Jonathan Schoop | 26 | 10 | 38.5% |
Orlando Arcia | 21 | 8 | 38.1% |
Justin Smoak | 21 | 8 | 38.1% |
Tyler Saladino | 21 | 8 | 38.1% |
Gregory Polanco | 21 | 8 | 38.1% |
Jacoby Ellsbury | 29 | 11 | 37.9% |
Ketel Marte | 29 | 11 | 37.9% |
Jonathan Lucroy | 29 | 11 | 37.9% |
Ryan Braun | 29 | 11 | 37.9% |
Brett Lawrie | 32 | 12 | 37.5% |
Jean Segura | 32 | 12 | 37.5% |
Steven Souza Jr. | 24 | 9 | 37.5% |
Daniel Murphy | 24 | 9 | 37.5% |
Kevin Pillar | 35 | 13 | 37.1% |
Ender Inciarte | 27 | 10 | 37.0% |
Jose Abreu | 68 | 25 | 36.8% |
Trevor Story | 22 | 8 | 36.4% |
Josh Reddick | 25 | 9 | 36.0% |
Jace Peterson | 25 | 9 | 36.0% |
Nick Castellanos | 25 | 9 | 36.0% |
J.D. Martinez | 39 | 14 | 35.9% |
Kirk Nieuwenhuis | 31 | 11 | 35.5% |
Manny Machado | 40 | 14 | 35.0% |
Didi Gregorius | 20 | 7 | 35.0% |
Michael Conforto | 23 | 8 | 34.8% |
Brian McCann | 23 | 8 | 34.8% |
Jason Castro | 23 | 8 | 34.8% |
Jeff Francoeur | 23 | 8 | 34.8% |
Starling Marte | 26 | 9 | 34.6% |
Alexei Ramirez | 29 | 10 | 34.5% |
Addison Russell | 32 | 11 | 34.4% |
C.J. Cron | 32 | 11 | 34.4% |
Mark Trumbo | 47 | 16 | 34.0% |
Nomar Mazara | 39 | 13 | 33.3% |
Asdrubal Cabrera | 39 | 13 | 33.3% |
Danny Espinosa | 36 | 12 | 33.3% |
Chase Headley | 30 | 10 | 33.3% |
Brock Holt | 27 | 9 | 33.3% |
Adeiny Hechavarria | 24 | 8 | 33.3% |
Neil Walker | 24 | 8 | 33.3% |
Gary Sanchez | 24 | 8 | 33.3% |
Alex Gordon | 21 | 7 | 33.3% |
Yangervis Solarte | 21 | 7 | 33.3% |
Matt Kemp | 61 | 20 | 32.8% |
Travis Shaw | 37 | 12 | 32.4% |
Marwin Gonzalez | 37 | 12 | 32.4% |
Matt Holliday | 28 | 9 | 32.1% |
Jonathan Villar | 28 | 9 | 32.1% |
Xander Bogaerts | 50 | 16 | 32.0% |
Logan Forsythe | 25 | 8 | 32.0% |
Welington Castillo | 25 | 8 | 32.0% |
Yonder Alonso | 25 | 8 | 32.0% |
Brandon Crawford | 47 | 15 | 31.9% |
Nolan Arenado | 47 | 15 | 31.9% |
Cesar Hernandez | 22 | 7 | 31.8% |
Adonis Garcia | 35 | 11 | 31.4% |
David Ortiz | 32 | 10 | 31.3% |
Anthony Rendon | 32 | 10 | 31.3% |
Mark Reynolds | 29 | 9 | 31.0% |
Maikel Franco | 42 | 13 | 31.0% |
Michael Saunders | 26 | 8 | 30.8% |
Justin Upton | 33 | 10 | 30.3% |
Elvis Andrus | 30 | 9 | 30.0% |
Travis Jankowski | 20 | 6 | 30.0% |
Evan Longoria | 27 | 8 | 29.6% |
Devon Travis | 27 | 8 | 29.6% |
Joe Panik | 27 | 8 | 29.6% |
Justin Turner | 27 | 8 | 29.6% |
Miguel Sano | 34 | 10 | 29.4% |
Cameron Rupp | 24 | 7 | 29.2% |
Cheslor Cuthbert | 24 | 7 | 29.2% |
Adrian Beltre | 31 | 9 | 29.0% |
Anthony Rizzo | 45 | 13 | 28.9% |
Stephen Piscotty | 42 | 12 | 28.6% |
Derek Norris | 21 | 6 | 28.6% |
Tyler Flowers | 21 | 6 | 28.6% |
Kyle Seager | 39 | 11 | 28.2% |
George Springer | 32 | 9 | 28.1% |
Brian Dozier | 32 | 9 | 28.1% |
Jay Bruce | 25 | 7 | 28.0% |
Joc Pederson | 36 | 10 | 27.8% |
Leonys Martin | 40 | 11 | 27.5% |
Brett Gardner | 33 | 9 | 27.3% |
Dae-Ho Lee | 22 | 6 | 27.3% |
Matt Wieters | 22 | 6 | 27.3% |
Ryan Zimmerman | 37 | 10 | 27.0% |
Christian Yelich | 37 | 10 | 27.0% |
Freddie Freeman | 37 | 10 | 27.0% |
Jayson Werth | 26 | 7 | 26.9% |
Coco Crisp | 26 | 7 | 26.9% |
Yasmany Tomas | 45 | 12 | 26.7% |
J.T. Realmuto | 30 | 8 | 26.7% |
Marcell Ozuna | 38 | 10 | 26.3% |
Dustin Pedroia | 38 | 10 | 26.3% |
Michael Bourn | 27 | 7 | 25.9% |
Eduardo Nunez | 27 | 7 | 25.9% |
Ben Zobrist | 31 | 8 | 25.8% |
Danny Valencia | 32 | 8 | 25.0% |
Matt Carpenter | 28 | 7 | 25.0% |
Ian Kinsler | 28 | 7 | 25.0% |
Jose Ramirez | 24 | 6 | 25.0% |
Ryan Rua | 24 | 6 | 25.0% |
Trea Turner | 20 | 5 | 25.0% |
Curt Casali | 20 | 5 | 25.0% |
Nick Markakis | 20 | 5 | 25.0% |
Avisail Garcia | 37 | 9 | 24.3% |
Hanley Ramirez | 33 | 8 | 24.2% |
Jung Ho Kang | 29 | 7 | 24.1% |
DJ LeMahieu | 25 | 6 | 24.0% |
Aaron Hill | 21 | 5 | 23.8% |
Yunel Escobar | 21 | 5 | 23.8% |
Khris Davis | 38 | 9 | 23.7% |
Adrian Gonzalez | 34 | 8 | 23.5% |
Mitch Moreland | 30 | 7 | 23.3% |
Martin Prado | 30 | 7 | 23.3% |
Bryce Harper | 26 | 6 | 23.1% |
Adam Duvall | 44 | 10 | 22.7% |
Brandon Phillips | 36 | 8 | 22.2% |
Wilson Ramos | 27 | 6 | 22.2% |
Marcus Semien | 27 | 6 | 22.2% |
Josh Harrison | 27 | 6 | 22.2% |
Seth Smith | 23 | 5 | 21.7% |
Franklin Gutierrez | 23 | 5 | 21.7% |
Sean Rodriguez | 23 | 5 | 21.7% |
Nelson Cruz | 42 | 9 | 21.4% |
Denard Span | 28 | 6 | 21.4% |
Lorenzo Cain | 28 | 6 | 21.4% |
Jordy Mercer | 33 | 7 | 21.2% |
Aledmys Diaz | 24 | 5 | 20.8% |
Joe Mauer | 29 | 6 | 20.7% |
Mike Trout | 39 | 8 | 20.5% |
Brandon Belt | 39 | 8 | 20.5% |
Kevin Kiermaier | 20 | 4 | 20.0% |
Troy Tulowitzki | 46 | 9 | 19.6% |
Josh Donaldson | 52 | 10 | 19.2% |
Carlos Correa | 42 | 8 | 19.0% |
Nick Hundley | 21 | 4 | 19.0% |
Chris Iannetta | 21 | 4 | 19.0% |
Ryan Raburn | 27 | 5 | 18.5% |
Francisco Lindor | 39 | 7 | 17.9% |
Mookie Betts | 28 | 5 | 17.9% |
Andrew McCutchen | 40 | 7 | 17.5% |
Jose Bautista | 23 | 4 | 17.4% |
Carlos Santana | 29 | 5 | 17.2% |
Victor Martinez | 35 | 6 | 17.1% |
Albert Pujols | 42 | 7 | 16.7% |
Wilmer Flores | 24 | 4 | 16.7% |
Chris Carter | 49 | 8 | 16.3% |
Kris Bryant | 43 | 7 | 16.3% |
Edwin Encarnacion | 52 | 8 | 15.4% |
Miguel Cabrera | 33 | 5 | 15.2% |
Travis d'Arnaud | 20 | 3 | 15.0% |
David Freese | 28 | 4 | 14.3% |
Jedd Gyorko | 29 | 4 | 13.8% |
Dexter Fowler | 22 | 3 | 13.6% |
Wil Myers | 32 | 4 | 12.5% |
J.J. Hardy | 26 | 3 | 11.5% |
Buster Posey | 35 | 4 | 11.4% |
Hunter Pence | 46 | 5 | 10.9% |
Mike Napoli | 28 | 3 | 10.7% |
Hyun Soo Kim | 20 | 2 | 10.0% |
Andrelton Simmons | 20 | 2 | 10.0% |
Russell Martin | 33 | 3 | 9.1% |
Paul Goldschmidt | 31 | 1 | 3.2% |
The sample size is a little bit bigger here because a pitcher is much more likely to bury one when they are ahead in the count. Since this is the most likely situation to see a ball in the dirt, a lot of the names at the top of this list mirror the names at the top of the overall leaderboard.
Seeing a great player like Adam Eaton with a 75 percent whiffs-to-balls-in-dirt rate when behind in the count is interesting. According to PITCHf/x, in 2016 he did swing at pitches outside of the zone 2.6 percent more than league average, but that’s hardly an enormous difference. His swing rates in general were right in line with the rest of the league. Apparently his Achilles’ heel was chasing a pitch in the dirt when behind.
WH/BD % Leaderboard: 0-2 Count
Player | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | WH/BD % |
---|---|---|---|
Player | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | WH/BD % |
Carlos Beltran | 15 | 12 | 80.0% |
Brock Holt | 10 | 8 | 80.0% |
Evan Gattis | 15 | 11 | 73.3% |
Adam Eaton | 14 | 10 | 71.4% |
Freddy Galvis | 10 | 7 | 70.0% |
Chris Davis | 10 | 7 | 70.0% |
Yasmani Grandal | 15 | 10 | 66.7% |
Paulo Orlando | 14 | 9 | 64.3% |
Gerardo Parra | 12 | 7 | 58.3% |
Dioner Navarro | 12 | 7 | 58.3% |
Hernan Perez | 12 | 7 | 58.3% |
Adam Jones | 20 | 11 | 55.0% |
Kendrys Morales | 13 | 7 | 53.8% |
Ian Desmond | 15 | 8 | 53.3% |
Kole Calhoun | 15 | 8 | 53.3% |
Yoenis Cespedes | 14 | 7 | 50.0% |
Jake Lamb | 14 | 7 | 50.0% |
Chris Johnson | 12 | 6 | 50.0% |
Randal Grichuk | 12 | 6 | 50.0% |
Kirk Nieuwenhuis | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Chris Owings | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Nick Castellanos | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Charlie Blackmon | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Carlos Gomez | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Erick Aybar | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Brandon Phillips | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Yadier Molina | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Brian Dozier | 13 | 6 | 46.2% |
Howie Kendrick | 11 | 5 | 45.5% |
Nomar Mazara | 11 | 5 | 45.5% |
Matt Holliday | 11 | 5 | 45.5% |
Jose Abreu | 28 | 12 | 42.9% |
Mark Trumbo | 21 | 9 | 42.9% |
Starlin Castro | 14 | 6 | 42.9% |
Adrian Gonzalez | 14 | 6 | 42.9% |
Xander Bogaerts | 14 | 6 | 42.9% |
Anthony Rizzo | 12 | 5 | 41.7% |
Manny Machado | 12 | 5 | 41.7% |
Javier Baez | 17 | 7 | 41.2% |
Yasmany Tomas | 15 | 6 | 40.0% |
Tyler Saladino | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Scooter Gennett | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Asdrubal Cabrera | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Giancarlo Stanton | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Stephen Piscotty | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Cheslor Cuthbert | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Ben Zobrist | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Adrian Beltre | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Brandon Moss | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Chase Headley | 13 | 5 | 38.5% |
Khris Davis | 13 | 5 | 38.5% |
Adam Duvall | 18 | 6 | 33.3% |
Rougned Odor | 15 | 5 | 33.3% |
Alexei Ramirez | 12 | 4 | 33.3% |
C.J. Cron | 12 | 4 | 33.3% |
Ryan Zimmerman | 12 | 4 | 33.3% |
Robinson Cano | 12 | 4 | 33.3% |
Kris Bryant | 12 | 4 | 33.3% |
Brandon Crawford | 19 | 6 | 31.6% |
Joc Pederson | 16 | 5 | 31.3% |
Freddie Freeman | 13 | 4 | 30.8% |
Nelson Cruz | 13 | 4 | 30.8% |
Justin Turner | 13 | 4 | 30.8% |
Todd Frazier | 10 | 3 | 30.0% |
Matt Carpenter | 10 | 3 | 30.0% |
Gary Sanchez | 10 | 3 | 30.0% |
Ender Inciarte | 10 | 3 | 30.0% |
Ryan Schimpf | 10 | 3 | 30.0% |
Yangervis Solarte | 10 | 3 | 30.0% |
Maikel Franco | 17 | 5 | 29.4% |
Matt Kemp | 24 | 7 | 29.2% |
Troy Tulowitzki | 14 | 4 | 28.6% |
Danny Valencia | 14 | 4 | 28.6% |
Mitch Moreland | 11 | 3 | 27.3% |
Adonis Garcia | 16 | 4 | 25.0% |
Nolan Arenado | 12 | 3 | 25.0% |
Hanley Ramirez | 12 | 3 | 25.0% |
Marcell Ozuna | 12 | 3 | 25.0% |
Miguel Cabrera | 13 | 3 | 23.1% |
George Springer | 13 | 3 | 23.1% |
Leonys Martin | 13 | 3 | 23.1% |
Jedd Gyorko | 13 | 3 | 23.1% |
Travis Shaw | 15 | 3 | 20.0% |
Nick Hundley | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
Josh Donaldson | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
Aledmys Diaz | 11 | 2 | 18.2% |
Martin Prado | 11 | 2 | 18.2% |
Andrew McCutchen | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
J.D. Martinez | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
Albert Pujols | 14 | 2 | 14.3% |
Chris Carter | 15 | 2 | 13.3% |
Lorenzo Cain | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
Buster Posey | 11 | 1 | 9.1% |
Edwin Encarnacion | 13 | 1 | 7.7% |
Hunter Pence | 16 | 1 | 6.3% |
Taking behind in the count even further to behind 0-2, we see Eaton is still near the top, but it’s grizzled veteran Carlos Beltran and utility-man Brock Holt who were most vulnerable to the ball in the dirt with their backs against the wall. They both swung and missed 80 percent of the time.
Hunter Pence was the least likely to bite in this situation as he swung just once in 16 opportunities for a league best 6.3 percent whiffs-to-balls-in-dirt rate when down 0-2. As if we needed more evidence that Pence is not of this world.
Here’s a breakdown of the worst whiffs-to-balls-in-dirt rate by pitch type.
WH/BD %: Worst By Pitch Type
Player | Pitch Type | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | Whiffs/Balls in Dirt % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Pitch Type | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | Whiffs/Balls in Dirt % |
Freddy Galvis | Curveball/Knuckle-curve | 29 | 26 | 89.7% |
Tyler Naquin | Slider | 11 | 8 | 72.7% |
CJ Cron | Changeup | 12 | 7 | 58.3% |
Lorenzo Cain | Fastballs (FF, FT, FC, SI) | 16 | 6 | 37.5% |
Kendrys Morales | Splitter | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
You’ll notice that except for the curveball, most the sample sizes are especially small. It makes sense, a curveball lends itself to being buried in the dirt far more easily than any other pitch type. With the splitter there were only two players who saw more than 10 pitches in the dirt — Josh Donaldson being the other — so it’s a leaderboard that relies heavily on circumstance, opponents, and pitch selection.
Since curveballs are the most meaty of all the pitch types here’s a further breakdown of just that pitch type.
WH/BD % Leaderboard: Curveballs
Player | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | WH/BD % |
---|---|---|---|
Player | Total Pitches in Dirt | Whiffs | WH/BD % |
Freddy Galvis | 29 | 26 | 89.7% |
Gerardo Parra | 13 | 10 | 76.9% |
Tyler Naquin | 13 | 10 | 76.9% |
Adam Lind | 26 | 19 | 73.1% |
Adam Eaton | 29 | 21 | 72.4% |
Byron Buxton | 17 | 12 | 70.6% |
Eddie Rosario | 16 | 11 | 68.8% |
Corey Dickerson | 18 | 12 | 66.7% |
Scooter Gennett | 23 | 15 | 65.2% |
Lonnie Chisenhall | 20 | 13 | 65.0% |
Andrew Romine | 11 | 7 | 63.6% |
Sandy Leon | 13 | 8 | 61.5% |
Derek Dietrich | 13 | 8 | 61.5% |
Chris Johnson | 13 | 8 | 61.5% |
Colby Rasmus | 18 | 11 | 61.1% |
Nick Castellanos | 18 | 11 | 61.1% |
Carlos Gonzalez | 25 | 15 | 60.0% |
Tim Anderson | 15 | 9 | 60.0% |
Matt Adams | 10 | 6 | 60.0% |
Jed Lowrie | 10 | 6 | 60.0% |
Luis Sardinas | 10 | 6 | 60.0% |
Hank Conger | 10 | 6 | 60.0% |
Jake Lamb | 22 | 13 | 59.1% |
Adam Jones | 39 | 23 | 59.0% |
Peter Bourjos | 12 | 7 | 58.3% |
Gregory Polanco | 26 | 15 | 57.7% |
Jason Kipnis | 21 | 12 | 57.1% |
Jimmy Paredes | 14 | 8 | 57.1% |
Odubel Herrera | 16 | 9 | 56.3% |
Alejandro De Aza | 16 | 9 | 56.3% |
Salvador Perez | 16 | 9 | 56.3% |
Rajai Davis | 20 | 11 | 55.0% |
Curtis Granderson | 22 | 12 | 54.5% |
Kolten Wong | 11 | 6 | 54.5% |
Jarrod Saltalamacchia | 11 | 6 | 54.5% |
Corey Seager | 24 | 13 | 54.2% |
Ryon Healy | 13 | 7 | 53.8% |
Hernan Perez | 13 | 7 | 53.8% |
Ian Desmond | 13 | 7 | 53.8% |
Yunel Escobar | 13 | 7 | 53.8% |
Javier Baez | 28 | 15 | 53.6% |
Phil Gosselin | 15 | 8 | 53.3% |
Justin Morneau | 15 | 8 | 53.3% |
James McCann | 15 | 8 | 53.3% |
Paulo Orlando | 19 | 10 | 52.6% |
Chris Davis | 23 | 12 | 52.2% |
Yasmani Grandal | 33 | 17 | 51.5% |
Jose Abreu | 41 | 21 | 51.2% |
Nomar Mazara | 24 | 12 | 50.0% |
Trevor Story | 22 | 11 | 50.0% |
Pedro Alvarez | 20 | 10 | 50.0% |
Jose Altuve | 16 | 8 | 50.0% |
Erick Aybar | 16 | 8 | 50.0% |
Ender Inciarte | 14 | 7 | 50.0% |
Whit Merrifield | 14 | 7 | 50.0% |
Alex Bregman | 12 | 6 | 50.0% |
Jonathan Lucroy | 12 | 6 | 50.0% |
Miguel Rojas | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Enrique Hernandez | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Christian Bethancourt | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Ichiro Suzuki | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
Robinson Cano | 37 | 18 | 48.6% |
Brandon Moss | 25 | 12 | 48.0% |
Melky Cabrera | 23 | 11 | 47.8% |
Dioner Navarro | 21 | 10 | 47.6% |
Brad Miller | 21 | 10 | 47.6% |
Giancarlo Stanton | 17 | 8 | 47.1% |
Coco Crisp | 17 | 8 | 47.1% |
Starlin Castro | 32 | 15 | 46.9% |
Tucker Barnhart | 15 | 7 | 46.7% |
Brock Holt | 13 | 6 | 46.2% |
Brett Lawrie | 24 | 11 | 45.8% |
Maikel Franco | 24 | 11 | 45.8% |
Carlos Gomez | 22 | 10 | 45.5% |
Ji-Man Choi | 11 | 5 | 45.5% |
Abraham Almonte | 11 | 5 | 45.5% |
Chase d'Arnaud | 20 | 9 | 45.0% |
Jonathan Schoop | 18 | 8 | 44.4% |
Prince Fielder | 18 | 8 | 44.4% |
Mark Reynolds | 16 | 7 | 43.8% |
Eduardo Nunez | 16 | 7 | 43.8% |
Tyler Saladino | 16 | 7 | 43.8% |
Alex Gordon | 16 | 7 | 43.8% |
Kendrys Morales | 39 | 17 | 43.6% |
Max Kepler | 14 | 6 | 42.9% |
Stephen Vogt | 14 | 6 | 42.9% |
Kelly Johnson | 14 | 6 | 42.9% |
Alexei Ramirez | 19 | 8 | 42.1% |
Brandon Drury | 19 | 8 | 42.1% |
Justin Smoak | 19 | 8 | 42.1% |
Howie Kendrick | 12 | 5 | 41.7% |
DJ LeMahieu | 12 | 5 | 41.7% |
Steven Souza Jr. | 12 | 5 | 41.7% |
Jonathan Villar | 17 | 7 | 41.2% |
Daniel Murphy | 22 | 9 | 40.9% |
Kole Calhoun | 32 | 13 | 40.6% |
Welington Castillo | 15 | 6 | 40.0% |
Derek Norris | 15 | 6 | 40.0% |
Jeff Francoeur | 15 | 6 | 40.0% |
Bobby Wilson | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Bruce Maxwell | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Yan Gomes | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Robbie Grossman | 10 | 4 | 40.0% |
Jacoby Ellsbury | 23 | 9 | 39.1% |
Yoenis Cespedes | 23 | 9 | 39.1% |
Jackie Bradley Jr. | 18 | 7 | 38.9% |
Brett Wallace | 13 | 5 | 38.5% |
Starling Marte | 13 | 5 | 38.5% |
Jon Jay | 13 | 5 | 38.5% |
Adeiny Hechavarria | 13 | 5 | 38.5% |
Conor Gillaspie | 13 | 5 | 38.5% |
Kris Bryant | 21 | 8 | 38.1% |
Evan Gattis | 21 | 8 | 38.1% |
Danny Espinosa | 29 | 11 | 37.9% |
Marwin Gonzalez | 24 | 9 | 37.5% |
Todd Frazier | 24 | 9 | 37.5% |
Kirk Nieuwenhuis | 24 | 9 | 37.5% |
Chris Owings | 24 | 9 | 37.5% |
Ryan Schimpf | 16 | 6 | 37.5% |
Devon Travis | 16 | 6 | 37.5% |
Freddie Freeman | 19 | 7 | 36.8% |
Marcell Ozuna | 22 | 8 | 36.4% |
Juan Centeno | 11 | 4 | 36.4% |
A.J. Pierzynski | 11 | 4 | 36.4% |
Eugenio Suarez | 25 | 9 | 36.0% |
Leonys Martin | 25 | 9 | 36.0% |
Ryan Braun | 25 | 9 | 36.0% |
Nelson Cruz | 31 | 11 | 35.5% |
Jedd Gyorko | 17 | 6 | 35.3% |
Danny Valencia | 26 | 9 | 34.6% |
Travis Shaw | 26 | 9 | 34.6% |
Mark Trumbo | 32 | 11 | 34.4% |
J.D. Martinez | 35 | 12 | 34.3% |
Justin Upton | 30 | 10 | 33.3% |
Carlos Correa | 30 | 10 | 33.3% |
Bryce Harper | 21 | 7 | 33.3% |
Logan Forsythe | 15 | 5 | 33.3% |
Nick Hundley | 15 | 5 | 33.3% |
Jason Castro | 15 | 5 | 33.3% |
Daniel Descalso | 15 | 5 | 33.3% |
Adam Rosales | 12 | 4 | 33.3% |
Yasmany Tomas | 37 | 12 | 32.4% |
Jay Bruce | 28 | 9 | 32.1% |
Nick Markakis | 25 | 8 | 32.0% |
Chris Carter | 25 | 8 | 32.0% |
Christian Yelich | 22 | 7 | 31.8% |
Avisail Garcia | 22 | 7 | 31.8% |
Logan Morrison | 16 | 5 | 31.3% |
Keon Broxton | 13 | 4 | 30.8% |
Hunter Pence | 30 | 9 | 30.0% |
Brian Dozier | 20 | 6 | 30.0% |
Alcides Escobar | 20 | 6 | 30.0% |
Gordon Beckham | 10 | 3 | 30.0% |
Cameron Rupp | 10 | 3 | 30.0% |
Gregor Blanco | 10 | 3 | 30.0% |
Nolan Arenado | 27 | 8 | 29.6% |
Rougned Odor | 27 | 8 | 29.6% |
Xander Bogaerts | 34 | 10 | 29.4% |
Randal Grichuk | 17 | 5 | 29.4% |
Chase Headley | 24 | 7 | 29.2% |
Carlos Beltran | 24 | 7 | 29.2% |
Eric Hosmer | 28 | 8 | 28.6% |
Evan Longoria | 28 | 8 | 28.6% |
Adrian Beltre | 21 | 6 | 28.6% |
Cheslor Cuthbert | 14 | 4 | 28.6% |
Brian McCann | 14 | 4 | 28.6% |
Brandon Crawford | 39 | 11 | 28.2% |
Mike Trout | 32 | 9 | 28.1% |
Stephen Piscotty | 25 | 7 | 28.0% |
Cesar Hernandez | 18 | 5 | 27.8% |
David Ortiz | 18 | 5 | 27.8% |
Jayson Werth | 22 | 6 | 27.3% |
Adam Duvall | 22 | 6 | 27.3% |
Jorge Polanco | 11 | 3 | 27.3% |
Yadier Molina | 11 | 3 | 27.3% |
Matt Holliday | 11 | 3 | 27.3% |
Shawn O'Malley | 11 | 3 | 27.3% |
Troy Tulowitzki | 26 | 7 | 26.9% |
Manny Machado | 30 | 8 | 26.7% |
Neil Walker | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
Hanley Ramirez | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
Chris Coghlan | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
Jean Segura | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
Ketel Marte | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
Kevin Pillar | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
Jose Ramirez | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
David Freese | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
Jace Peterson | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
Denard Span | 15 | 4 | 26.7% |
Wilson Ramos | 19 | 5 | 26.3% |
Matt Kemp | 31 | 8 | 25.8% |
Anthony Rizzo | 24 | 6 | 25.0% |
Josh Reddick | 24 | 6 | 25.0% |
Addison Russell | 20 | 5 | 25.0% |
Jung Ho Kang | 16 | 4 | 25.0% |
Mike Zunino | 16 | 4 | 25.0% |
Ryan Raburn | 12 | 3 | 25.0% |
Orlando Arcia | 12 | 3 | 25.0% |
Tony Wolters | 12 | 3 | 25.0% |
Tyler Flowers | 25 | 6 | 24.0% |
Adonis Garcia | 21 | 5 | 23.8% |
Curt Casali | 21 | 5 | 23.8% |
Hyun Soo Kim | 21 | 5 | 23.8% |
Michael Saunders | 21 | 5 | 23.8% |
Matt Duffy | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
Dae-Ho Lee | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
Matt Carpenter | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
Michael Bourn | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
Joe Mauer | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
Anthony Rendon | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
Martin Prado | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
Adrian Gonzalez | 22 | 5 | 22.7% |
Lorenzo Cain | 18 | 4 | 22.2% |
Mark Teixeira | 18 | 4 | 22.2% |
Joc Pederson | 23 | 5 | 21.7% |
Dustin Pedroia | 23 | 5 | 21.7% |
Mikie Mahtook | 14 | 3 | 21.4% |
Joe Panik | 14 | 3 | 21.4% |
Marcus Semien | 19 | 4 | 21.1% |
Ryan Zimmerman | 19 | 4 | 21.1% |
Miguel Cabrera | 19 | 4 | 21.1% |
Justin Turner | 19 | 4 | 21.1% |
George Springer | 24 | 5 | 20.8% |
Mookie Betts | 29 | 6 | 20.7% |
Asdrubal Cabrera | 29 | 6 | 20.7% |
Kyle Seager | 39 | 8 | 20.5% |
Michael Conforto | 20 | 4 | 20.0% |
Yangervis Solarte | 20 | 4 | 20.0% |
Khris Davis | 20 | 4 | 20.0% |
Jarrett Parker | 15 | 3 | 20.0% |
Andrelton Simmons | 15 | 3 | 20.0% |
Mike Napoli | 15 | 3 | 20.0% |
Travis Jankowski | 15 | 3 | 20.0% |
Chase Utley | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
Cristhian Adames | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
Byungho Park | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
Jose Iglesias | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
Brandon Belt | 46 | 9 | 19.6% |
Edwin Encarnacion | 31 | 6 | 19.4% |
Miguel Sano | 37 | 7 | 18.9% |
Seth Smith | 16 | 3 | 18.8% |
Victor Martinez | 27 | 5 | 18.5% |
Mitch Moreland | 27 | 5 | 18.5% |
Brett Gardner | 27 | 5 | 18.5% |
Wil Myers | 22 | 4 | 18.2% |
Joey Votto | 11 | 2 | 18.2% |
Oswaldo Arcia | 11 | 2 | 18.2% |
Didi Gregorius | 11 | 2 | 18.2% |
Chris Gimenez | 11 | 2 | 18.2% |
Gary Sanchez | 17 | 3 | 17.6% |
Sean Rodriguez | 17 | 3 | 17.6% |
Ben Zobrist | 24 | 4 | 16.7% |
John Jaso | 18 | 3 | 16.7% |
Brandon Phillips | 18 | 3 | 16.7% |
Kevin Kiermaier | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
Ryan Howard | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
Jason Heyward | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
Alex Avila | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
Andrew McCutchen | 25 | 4 | 16.0% |
Jefry Marte | 19 | 3 | 15.8% |
Aaron Altherr | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
Travis d'Arnaud | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
Melvin Upton Jr. | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
Aaron Hill | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
C.J. Cron | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
Josh Donaldson | 27 | 4 | 14.8% |
Yonder Alonso | 21 | 3 | 14.3% |
Carlos Santana | 21 | 3 | 14.3% |
Nolan Reimold | 14 | 2 | 14.3% |
Francisco Cervelli | 15 | 2 | 13.3% |
Francisco Lindor | 33 | 4 | 12.1% |
Dexter Fowler | 17 | 2 | 11.8% |
J.T. Realmuto | 17 | 2 | 11.8% |
Albert Pujols | 36 | 4 | 11.1% |
Ezequiel Carrera | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
Wilmer Flores | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
Mitch Haniger | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
Jose Bautista | 21 | 2 | 9.5% |
Paul Goldschmidt | 21 | 2 | 9.5% |
Russell Martin | 36 | 3 | 8.3% |
Angel Pagan | 12 | 1 | 8.3% |
Jurickson Profar | 12 | 1 | 8.3% |
Jordy Mercer | 27 | 2 | 7.4% |
Chris Iannetta | 14 | 1 | 7.1% |
Aledmys Diaz | 16 | 1 | 6.3% |
Matt Joyce | 16 | 1 | 6.3% |
Buster Posey | 19 | 0 | 0.0% |
Jhonny Peralta | 12 | 0 | 0.0% |
J.J. Hardy | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
Jorge Soler | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
Again we see more of the same gentlemen from the top of the overall leaderboard, but Freddy Galvis really sets himself apart in this particular case. In 2016 Galvis saw 29 curveballs in the dirt and swung at 26 of them. There’s been a lot of small sample size prefacing in this article and while I won’t claim that it doesn’t still apply here, an 89.7 percent whiffs-to-balls-in-dirt rate on 29 curveballs seems significant. At the very least Galvis should see a steady diet of curves in the dirt until he proves it’s a pitch he can lay off.
On the other end of the spectrum, special acknowledgement must go out to Buster Posey, Jhonny Peralta, JJ Hardy, and Jorge Soler for not offering even once at a curveball in the dirt last season. That’s damn impressive.
Balls in the dirt are such a rarity overall that the ability to consistently not offer at them appears not to be a make or break skill. Plenty of baseball’s top offensive threats find themselves with a high whiffs-to-balls-in-dirt rate relative to the rest of the league. Still, as Paul Goldschmidt will attest, it doesn’t hurt to be able to spit on those pitches.
. . .
Chris Anders is a featured writer at Beyond the Box Score. You can follow him on Twitter at @mrchrisanders.