Post by chinmusic on Mar 16, 2021 20:18:18 GMT -8
For comparative purposes, I used our slash line offensive numbers from the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons against those same stat numbers from the Oregon series. The 2018 season stats were record-setting, the 2019 season was a mixture of good offense early that tailed off late, and the 2020 season was a 14 game season that got off slowly prior to the Corona virus shutdown. A blended sampling for certain.
Some ancient baseball wisdom; “you can’t score runs without base runners”. In the 26 innings OSU came to bat in the Oregon series, they had fourteen (14), “3 up and 3 down” innings. At bat, 54 % of our innings were sterile.
OSU’s OBP was .227 which is a good .140 - .150 below where it needs to be. In 2018 our OBP was a benchmark .416, in 2019 it was .367 and in 2020-Covid it was .361.
In 21 of the 26 innings OSU came to bat, the Beavs failed to get the lead off man on base. Managing to begin an inning with a base runner 19.2 % of your at bats is a formula for offensive anemia.
OSU had 4 walks and 1 hit batsmen while recording 26 strike outs for a 5.2:1 K:BB ratio. Searching for a word to describe that. . . . maybe, STUNNING? In 2018 our ratio was 1.1:1, in 2019 it was 1.4:1, and in 2000 it was 2.1:1 The failure to draw more than 4 walks and a hit batsman in a 3 game series, coupled with Oregon playing errorless baseball were demonstrative of a team struggling at the plate and receiving no help from the opposition – a recipe for doom.
OSU’s slugging % was .182. In 95 plate appearances, the Beavers had 12 singles and one XBH. With the exception of Meckler’s home run, OSU’s lack of power was clearly evident. To date no one has emerged as a game to game home run threat. We have a lineup of hitters that can hit the occasional pitching “mistake” out, but no genuine HR threat. No one expected to see Conforto – Larnach – Rutschman type HR power this season but people did think we had 3 or 4 hitters that were capable of blasting 8-10 with the right hitting approach.
The Beavers had 13 hits in 88 official AB for a .147 batting average. How do you even process that?
Are we on the right track? In the past this approach to an AB was very fruitful for the Beavers - if you are unsuccessful reaching base, make sure you have a competitive at bat. Make the pitcher exhaust himself retiring you. Get deep in the count, the “take” sign is hot on, 1) taking a first strike, 2) taking a pitch on 2-0, 3-0, and maybe 3-1 counts, and 3) fouling off strikes. Run the starter’s pitch count up and get into the opponents bullpen as soon as possible. Still a formula for success? Maybe. . . .and maybe not. Let’s look at the Oregon series.
In Game 1, Ahlstrom threw 78 pitches through 7 IP. Oregon threw 108 for the game. In Game 2, Kafka threw 5 innings on 87 pitches. Oregon’s game total was 128. In Game 3, Walker threw 77 pitches through 6 2/3 IP and Oregon finished with a game total of 94.
That totals 330 pitches in 26 innings facing Beaver hitters. That averages out to 12.7 pitches per inning. A surprisingly low number that was helped by allowing only 5 free passes and playing error-free baseball in the series. OSU’s at bats were not all that competitive, didn’t run up anyone’s pitch count, or get into their bullpen early.
What will our approach be going forward? Pitch anticipation or pitch recognition? Taking strikes on favorable counts or swinging away? Taking pitches to run the count or crushing anything in your zone? This was a week of searching for answers and lively discussions – Let’s hope it produces better results in the WSU series.
Go Beavs!
Some ancient baseball wisdom; “you can’t score runs without base runners”. In the 26 innings OSU came to bat in the Oregon series, they had fourteen (14), “3 up and 3 down” innings. At bat, 54 % of our innings were sterile.
OSU’s OBP was .227 which is a good .140 - .150 below where it needs to be. In 2018 our OBP was a benchmark .416, in 2019 it was .367 and in 2020-Covid it was .361.
In 21 of the 26 innings OSU came to bat, the Beavs failed to get the lead off man on base. Managing to begin an inning with a base runner 19.2 % of your at bats is a formula for offensive anemia.
OSU had 4 walks and 1 hit batsmen while recording 26 strike outs for a 5.2:1 K:BB ratio. Searching for a word to describe that. . . . maybe, STUNNING? In 2018 our ratio was 1.1:1, in 2019 it was 1.4:1, and in 2000 it was 2.1:1 The failure to draw more than 4 walks and a hit batsman in a 3 game series, coupled with Oregon playing errorless baseball were demonstrative of a team struggling at the plate and receiving no help from the opposition – a recipe for doom.
OSU’s slugging % was .182. In 95 plate appearances, the Beavers had 12 singles and one XBH. With the exception of Meckler’s home run, OSU’s lack of power was clearly evident. To date no one has emerged as a game to game home run threat. We have a lineup of hitters that can hit the occasional pitching “mistake” out, but no genuine HR threat. No one expected to see Conforto – Larnach – Rutschman type HR power this season but people did think we had 3 or 4 hitters that were capable of blasting 8-10 with the right hitting approach.
The Beavers had 13 hits in 88 official AB for a .147 batting average. How do you even process that?
Are we on the right track? In the past this approach to an AB was very fruitful for the Beavers - if you are unsuccessful reaching base, make sure you have a competitive at bat. Make the pitcher exhaust himself retiring you. Get deep in the count, the “take” sign is hot on, 1) taking a first strike, 2) taking a pitch on 2-0, 3-0, and maybe 3-1 counts, and 3) fouling off strikes. Run the starter’s pitch count up and get into the opponents bullpen as soon as possible. Still a formula for success? Maybe. . . .and maybe not. Let’s look at the Oregon series.
In Game 1, Ahlstrom threw 78 pitches through 7 IP. Oregon threw 108 for the game. In Game 2, Kafka threw 5 innings on 87 pitches. Oregon’s game total was 128. In Game 3, Walker threw 77 pitches through 6 2/3 IP and Oregon finished with a game total of 94.
That totals 330 pitches in 26 innings facing Beaver hitters. That averages out to 12.7 pitches per inning. A surprisingly low number that was helped by allowing only 5 free passes and playing error-free baseball in the series. OSU’s at bats were not all that competitive, didn’t run up anyone’s pitch count, or get into their bullpen early.
What will our approach be going forward? Pitch anticipation or pitch recognition? Taking strikes on favorable counts or swinging away? Taking pitches to run the count or crushing anything in your zone? This was a week of searching for answers and lively discussions – Let’s hope it produces better results in the WSU series.
Go Beavs!
