Importance of OBP..

Hello everyone... relatively new to this side but have been on the softball board for a number of years. This summer will see the end of one part of the journey for my daughter as she will finishing up her college recruitment... hopefully sometime in July- September and the last couple of years have been focused on her.

Anyway, my son will be a freshman in HS next year and we will be starting the recruitment journey with him.

I just wanted to ask a general question of the board here... how is OBP looked at. when he was younger Money Ball was all the rage and we worked hard on working the count and getting a good pitch to hit... looking for a ball in a certain spot. We also werent afraid to allow a pitcher to get one or two strikes on us if those pitches werent good pitches to hit. He never was one of those kids who felt added pressure with two strikes. This, of course, gave the added benefit of running up the pitch count and his OBP was always very high.

This past weekend he hit against a pitcher who did not have what you might call electric type of stuff but threw two tip your hat type pitches to him and then came back with a pitch that was 6 inches off outside and blue rung him up. I knew it wasnt a strike, not only from where I was sitting but from the fact that he didnt offer at it. He really has developed a good eye over the years. He got chastised a bit for a 3 strike looking AB when he got back to the dugout. It made me think about his approach at the plate over the next four years.

I just wanted to ask if OBP and the added benefits of running the pitch count up are valued by college and pro scouts in HS ageplayers or are they more impressed with a kid who can "rip it" but has little plate discipline.

Thanks

 

As a generalized statement, I would have to say it would depend on the team you have, or the team you are trying to build.

Obviously if you have a lot of good eyes,you might look into trying to get a kid to come up there hacking with runners on.

Or, the opposite is also true, if you have a lot of "rippers" with little discipline, you may want someone who can take a 7-8 pitch at bat to put pressure on the defense and the pitcher, to set up for the free swingers.

That's all the insight I have to offer.

 

Batter Beware!

I think OBP is important, but the batter better be careful. That running the pitch count up works both ways. Really good pitchers can work the batter with the pitch count. Go to Nash County and have your son bat against Hobbs Johnson or Tyler Joyner & see what I'm talking about. Both of these guys can throw their best stuff on a 3-2 count.

 

A player's batting approach is noted and his success with his approach is highlighted, but, ultimately, it's his swing and what "they" evaluate and project is what's important. In HS, batting averages and OBP are virtually ignored--other than they expect it to be good. They want to see the success of the player against a quality pitcher and success is not measured on being 4-4 or 0-4---it's quality at bats---and, at times, quality swings.

There are so many areas of performance the scouts are looking for, but HS BA and OBP is not one of them. Just like a pitcher with high velocity, a position player with great bat speed and outstanding eye to hand coordination is god given---can be improved, but can't be taught. A coach can teach the art of pitching or better plate discipline, but they are looking for the one's that have "natural" ability.

You can see and note who is a natural after one game---and he may have gone 0-4 in that game.

I'm not trying to minimize the importance of a batting approach each at bat, but the bottom line is to try to get into a hitters count--see a good pitch---and let her rip!---to all fields!

 

Get your rips...

I would say at the HS level, a player needs to get his rips. Look for that good fastball early and stay out of the 2-strike hole. I had a good umpire tell me that he was looking to call everything a strike until he had evidence otherwise and he was looking to call everybody out unless he had evidence otherwise. If your son is looking at something off the plate with two strikes, then he is at the mercy of the umpire...maybe the ump is itching to ring him up for a called third strike. Personally, I would rather see a player protecting the plate and swing at something that MAY be a ball, rather than go down looking and not give himself or his team a chance...maybe he fouls that iffy pitch off and then the pitcher makes a mistake on the next one and your son drives a gap shot and plates two runners. Can't do that from the bench, having looked at strike three. Striking out looking at three pitches is the most painful thing on the ballfield in my opinion (especially in tight games, late). Coaches are looking for hitters, not watchers and I believe good plate discipline includes managing your two strike approach to give yourself and your team a chance.

 

Batting average by count for all MLB players in 2007:

0-0 = .344
1-0 = .341
2-0 = .351
3-0 = .394
0-1 = .324
1-1 = .327
2-1 = .338
3-1 = .368
0-2 = .166
1-2 = .178
2-2 = .195
3-2 = .233


now granted these are big leaguers but i think its relative. ​

 

this is a great post thx.... someone above mentioned pitchers from Nash county. If he is facing a pitcher of that quality he wouldnt be quite so selective 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, 2-1. If the count was 2-0, 3-1 then no difference in the approach. In the situation I described this past weekend the kid he was facing did not have the type of stuff that made him worry if he was behind in the count or had two strikes.