The growing Strikezone

[TheHurl]

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/RHH-2009-2014-zone.pnghttp://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/LHH-2009-2014-zone.png

 

From the article

 

According to Roegele, 16.8 percent of pitches were thrown 18 to 24 inches off the ground (approximately the bottom of the zone) back in 2009. This past season it was 18.3 percent. Hitters swung at 45.0 percent of these pitches in 2009 and 49.2 percent in 2014 because they know it is more likely to be called a strike these days.

 

Pitching to the bottom of the zone is something pitchers have done for decades. It's tough to hit the ball down, and even when hitters do make contact, they tend to beat the ball into the ground. Pitchers like that. Nowadays pitchers can pitch lower in the zone than they have at any point in the last eight years (the PitchFX era) and it's sapping offense around the league.

 

Why is the strike zone growing downward? Beats me. The zone is clearly defined in the rulebook as knees to letters, though it's been more of an amorphous blob in recent years. If the zone continues to expand, offense is only is going to go down even further. Hopefully there's a correction sometime soon and the zone is called as it should be.

[TheHurl]

I think teams are using better framers more.

 

it's likely part of it. But as the data shows...there are a lot of teams using bad framers too. Bad framers are at their worst at the bottom of zone at least from what I know of it or what my eyes see. There isn't a lot of change on the inside or outside...in fact it's getting smaller.

[o2cui2i]

is this an anomaly just comparing two cherry picked years or is it something they have noticed shift slowly over time? the post only shows two years... it would be more interesting if it showed each year over the 5.

[Orgfiller]

is this an anomaly just comparing two cherry picked years or is it something they have noticed shift slowly over time? the post only shows two years... it would be more interesting if it showed each year over the 5.

Hurl didn't post the full article (http://www.hardballtimes.com/the-strike-zone-expansion-is-out-of-control/), there has been a trend since 2008 for the zone to be getting lower and contributing to a lower run environment.

[Dick_Pole]

Maybe hitters are getting taller! Or wait...shorter....wait. Hitters are getting longer torsos, but are cursed with stubby little legs.

[kgm1]

I would suspect that thru pressure from the strike zone being broadcast with every pitch thrown the umpires were forced into calling the lower strikes

[TheHurl]

Hurl didn't post the full article (http://www.hardballtimes.com/the-strike-zone-expansion-is-out-of-control/), there has been a trend since 2008 for the zone to be getting lower and contributing to a lower run environment.

 

thanks for the link. I picked it up from a friend's post on Facebook and they didn't reference.

[o2cui2i]

Hurl didn't post the full article (http://www.hardballtimes.com/the-strike-zone-expansion-is-out-of-control/), there has been a trend since 2008 for the zone to be getting lower and contributing to a lower run environment.

 

thanks... that's a better reference.

 

side note: amazing how many walks the jays pitchers have been giving up the last couple of years despite this. I guess it's hard to take advantage of a bigger strike zone with JPA waving at every pitch and Navarro not being able to see or reach down to his feet for years.

 

 

why did they trade Kratz again? oh yeah, so Dickey could keep his pet monkey.

[Governator]

Obviously a surplus of shorter batters these days.

[GeorgiaPeach]

If the outline in the diagrams is the "actual zone" it appears umpires are becoming more accurate in calling strikes. The zones look more complete and true now compared to 2009.

[Terminator]

If the outline in the diagrams is the "actual zone" it appears umpires are becoming more accurate in calling strikes. The zones look more complete and true now compared to 2009.

 

Yeah is the outline the actual strike zone? Like you said, if it is then the umps are getting better at calling strikes.

[o2cui2i]

Yeah is the outline the actual strike zone? Like you said, if it is then the umps are getting better at calling strikes.

 

Joey bats is looking at this right now whining about that one dot all by itself. he knew it was a ball! lol