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The Free Swinging Rays?

Can_of_corn

By Can_of_corn
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Can_of_corn Hangout Grand Counsel

Can_of_corn

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Posted

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-rays-are-becoming-baseballs-most-aggressive-team/

Look at how teams have swung to this point:...The Rays' lead over second place is as big as the difference between third place and 24th. It's a pretty massive separation, and while it is six games, here's another way to put it the difference in rates between first and second works out to 30 extra swings, already. Five more swings per game.
Meanwhile, the Rays' rate of swings within the zone is higher than the average by about 10 percentage points. So it's not just swinging for swinging's sake. They've targeted many of their swings at would-be strikes.

team-swing-rates.png

team-first-pitch-swing-rates.png

The Rays as a team lead baseball in swing rate against fastballs. The most interesting split I found: the Rays are in 11th in first-pitch swing rate against non-fastballs. They?re close to league-average. But the Rays are first in first-pitch swing rate against fastballs, and they?re in first by 11 percentage points.

Weams and I have been talking about this stuff for a few years now. With a larger strike zone, and lockdown bullpens why let a first pitch strike go by just to put yourself in the hole?

Now, will teams adjust and start throwing more first pitch offspeed pitches to the Rays?

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