The Importance of a BB

[BoomBoom]

Having watched the likes of Miguel Sano at the MLB level, I have come away extremely impressed with his patience and presence at the plate.  His ability / rate to take a BB has been documented as the second or third best in all of baseball (despite short sample size).  Although striking out at a 35% rate, Sano gets a slight pass because of his awesome BB rate (something like 18%).  This free pass (pun intended) makes me question the importance of SO's and BB's as separate metrics.  Why are K/BB rates only important as a joined stat line and not as important as separate stat lines?

 

Example:

 

Player A (Sano) strikes out  100 times and walks  60 times (around 90 games)

64  Runs scored - 18 HR  -  60 RBI

 

Player B (Polanco) strikes out  47 times and walks  24 times  (around 90 games)

45  Runs scored - 3 HRs  - 34  RBI

 

Player C (Walker) strikes out 147 times and walks  32 times  (around 90 games)

57 Runs scored - 26 HRs  -  84  RBI

 

As you rank these 3 from most valuable to least valuable, I'm sure K/BB ratio will be an important factor.  I'm asking why?  What does the ratio do that the mere numbers here don't do?

 

 

As you form your thoughts, note that player C despite his amazing K rate would be leading AAA Rochester in BB if he played there.  He walked enough last year where he would have led Rochester AAA and New Britain AA in BB had he played there.   So why do SO's and BB matter as they pertain to (K/BB) a ratio more than separately?

 

Player A is productive and walks a ton (Top 10 prospect in MiLB)

Player B is best hitter (BA), and walks the least  (Top 10 prospect / Twins)

Player C best production (in baseball) and walks more than B  (Not a Top 10 prospect / Twins)

 

For arguments sake:

If our averages are the same and C strikes out 150 times and B grounds out 150 times, how is B perceived  more valuable despite having production numbers far far inferior and walking less?  Trying to understand the importance of K/BB ratio as it pertains to above figures / scenario?

 

None are stellar defenders despite varied positions or playing at a more premium position.

[drock2190]

Because striking out is a non productive at bat.

 

Those balls hit in play by player B might advance runners, knock in runs. True, they might hit into double plays on occasion but it's better to put the ball in play then to strikeout because anything can happen

[bholmgren]

Because striking out is a non productive at bat.

Those balls hit in play by player B might advance runners, knock in runs. True, they might hit into double plays on occasion but it's better to put the ball in play then to strikeout because anything can happen

 

Exactly!  When you put the ball in play you never know what might happen.  Take Sano's routine ground ball last night that went for an error and scored a run.  Doesn't happen with a strikeout.

[birddog]

I'm a bit like Clint Eastwood in "Trouble With the Curve" when it comes to stats and especially Ks. Are they producing enough to warrant the K's? Players like Polanco, with little or no power, have to put the ball in play and utilize their speed. There has to be a much longer leash for the run producers.

 

I love watching Sano hit, especially with runners in scoring position. With the RBI stats in his minor league career, you can see he comes through at a very high rate. When he does strike out, it has so far been a good battle with him taking rips at pitches he should swing at. He's not going to get cheated with bad swings, and he is aggressive and ready for any mistake pitch. He must have heard Kirby Puckett say, "You get three swings. Use them and something good will happen."

 

I have not seen ABW hit but his power numbers are awesome. Would it be nice if he would shorten his swing with two strikes and put the ball in play? Sure, but we fans will pay to watch these guys swing for the fences. I feel more cheated when Sano walks than when he Ks, even though he has shown a discerning eye on the close pitches. Sano and ABW know they will be paid big money by driving in runs and they can make even more by taking a walk when we need baserunners. The worst thing the Twins or fans can do is worry about their K's if they are driving in runs. Let the big boppers bop.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Is putting the ball into play more valuable than a strikeout? Sure, but what we've learned recently is the difference is not very large.

 

That's a big reason why you see K numbers continue to climb around baseball. The strikeout isn't a much worse outcome than a weak grounder to short.

 

And that's why modern analysts basically ignore the BB/K ratio. It's pretty meaningless.

[KidBro]

Seems to me, that the BB/K ratio and BAPIP would directly correlate to OBP.  A player w/ that large of a gap between K's and BB, means they would have to carry an incredible BAPIP to have a productive OPB. Now, in Sano, ABW case as has been stated, their OPB and run production is most likely going to be valued more than OBP, but at some point, those runners on 3rd w/ less than 2 outs have to be driven in, and that's not happening w/ a K.    

[goulik]

The concern is the heightened ability to take advantage of strike out prone players at the MLB level. I believe what Walker has done at AA will propel him into Twins top 10 and given the Buxton, Sano arrivals, possibly top 5 Twins prospects by next season.

What Sano has stated he learned at AA this year is patience at the plate and it has shown at the MLB level (see ninth inning last night)