Strikeout To Walk Ratio And It’s Importance
The strikeout to walk ratio and it’s importance in baseball in the modern era is often misunderstood, even by die-hard fans with good understanding of the game. This ratio is more than just a fantasy team number or a tool for a pitcher in obtaining a more lucrative contract – it can determine the quality of season an entire team can have based on the performance of only one or two pitchers.
The strikeout to walk ratio of an average major league pitcher is considered adequate if it is above the 2:1 for a given season, and an outstanding pitcher usually possesses a ratio of over 3:1 A starting pitcher that has a poor strikeout to walk ratio will distress the entire pitching staff of a specific team and the reasons are several.
A pitcher with a substandard strikeout to walk ratio has to throw more pitches, and because of the close watch on pitch counts will pitch less innings in each start. This in turn demands that the bullpen is used more frequently and those pitchers also need to throw more pitches. The equation is simple – more pitches thrown equals more potential arm injuries and a less rested bullpen staff. This means that toward the end of the season when pitching arms are tired and sore that players from triple A clubs suddenly become “go to guys” on big league rosters.
A starting pitcher that strikes out few batters and walks more than their fair share seems constantly have runners on base. In turn, this increases the necessity for more double plays to be performed by their defense, which can be problematic for a team that does not particularly field well. In this time when home runs are frequent, solo home runs by the opposition can easily become two or three run homers.Take a look here to learn more: MLB Playoffs 2011: 5 Bold Postseason Predictions