Some interesting David Wright stats

[Joe12Pack]

I got this from Bill Madden's column in the NY Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2009/06/27/2009-06-27_after_red_sox__dodgers.html?page=0):


I wonder if David Wright realizes he's currently having one of the strangest seasons in history. The Mets' third baseman went into the weekend leading the National League in batting - and fifth in the league in strikeouts with 70 in 70 games. He also had just four home runs, meaning he was on pace to hit over .350 with 9-10 home runs and more than 150 strikeouts. But while Wright may be striking out way too much, at least when he makes contact he most often gets a hit. As of Friday, Wright had a .487 average when he put the ball in play. According to the Elias Bureau, the all-time record for highest average putting the ball in play is Babe Ruth's .481 in 1923. Of course, Ruth also had 41 homers, 131 RBI, 170 walks and just 93 strikeouts. For the record, the most strikeouts for a player hitting .340 or better was Manny Ramirez's 127 for his .351 season with the Indians in 2000. How the game has changed since Joe DiMaggio hit .357 in 1941 and struck out only 13 times.

I didn't realize Wright was on pace to set a BABIP record, and that HR/K split along with that BA is quite strange.

Is Wright actually in a season-long "slump" while getting extremely lucky?

I'm not sure. He is on pace for 50 doubles, 7 triples, 95 walks and 43 SB. Not shabby at all, even if he's only on pace for 9 HR. Seems he's still getting on base, moving on the basepaths, and tearing the cover off the ball; just not putting it over the fence.

I must admit I have only caught a couple of Mets games this season. Maybe someone else can tell me how David Wright looks outside the stats.

[metsguy234]

The strikeouts make it seem like he's not as good as he actually is. His defense doesn't seem to be as tip-top as it usually has been, but it hasn't been particularly awful. From what I've seen, he seems to be a bit more of a free swinger then he has been in past seasons. He's stealing a lot of bases, but also getting caught a lot. He's been incredibly streaky this year, he has gone into bizarre slumps and amazing hot streaks (at one point he was batting over .500 for a 10 game stretch)

Off the field, with all the Mets injuries, he seems to have been taking a bigger leadership role with the team. He's probably the most popular Met overall. The fans have quite a bit of patience for him.

[xirr]

Wow. Good read. If anything I would say he's been a little bit unlucky. How many of his doubles were the off-the-wall variety?

[filihok]

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/baseball/flb/story?id=4284640


According to Rybarczyk...in the first 37 games of Citi Field's existence, the Mets and their opponents have been "robbed" of a combined 36 home runs that might have cleared the fences at Shea.

[SirKodiak]

LD%, FB%, GB% are about the same as last year. (http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3787&position=3B#battedball) IFFB% is down.

Here is a look at the results of his batted balls. (http://www.editgrid.com/user/sirkodiak/David_Wright)

[xirr]

According to Rybarczyk, six of Wright's batted balls at Citi Field would have cleared the fences at Shea; those plays instead resulted in one single, three doubles and two triple

[Joe12Pack]

I figured at least a few of the triples and doubles would have been HRs in Shea.

The BABIP and Ks are still mind-blowing though.

[xirr]

Close your eyes and swing hard :P

[RedsoxRockies]

Ha, and Houston said no one would ever strike out 150 times and hit for high average!

[xirr]

It's pretty rare. I doubt he will keep the babip he has right now. But I think he's also gonna strike out less once he figures out how to be a gap hitter.

[SirKodiak]

re: the original post

Not sure where Bill Madden got his numbers, but according to bbref:

in 2007, Holliday hit .340 w/ 126 K
in 2000, Manny hit .351 w/ 117 K

and just to clarify some things:

"highest average putting the ball in play" (which I have seen called BACON (BA on CONtact)) is not BABIP. For the purposes of BABIP, a HR is not considered "in play". Ruth had a .423 BABIP for 1923.

The number he is using for Wright is BACON also. Wright's current BABIP is .462

[200tang]

re: the original post

Not sure where Bill Madden got his numbers, but according to bbref:

in 2007, Holliday hit .340 w/ 126 K
in 2000, Manny hit .351 w/ 117 K

and just to clarify some things:

"highest average putting the ball in play" (which I have seen called BACON (BA on CONtact)) is not BABIP. For the purposes of BABIP, a HR is not considered "in play". Ruth had a .423 BABIP for 1923.

The number he is using for Wright is BACON also. Wright's current BABIP is .462

nice job.

[AndrewOsborn]

ESPN.com had a nice article recently concerning the higher number of strikeouts now. It focused on Chris Davis' recent 100 K milestone by June 20.

[HoustonGM]

Ha, and Houston said no one would ever strike out 150 times and hit for high average!
No, I didn't. But, if you strike out that much, you won't sustain a high batting average for long.

Wright's been unlucky in the power department, and lucky in the BABIP department. If he cuts down his K's to his career rate (which is likely) and starts hitting for more power, his BABIP will regress while still allowing him to maintain a high average.

[xirr]

No, I didn't. But, if you strike out that much, you won't sustain a high batting average for long.

Wright's been unlucky in the power department, and lucky in the BABIP department. If he cuts down his K's to his career rate (which is likely) and starts hitting for more power, his BABIP will regress while still allowing him to maintain a high average.

Yeah, he hasn't any reason that he can continue to keep his babip at literally ruthian levels for a whole season. Still I expect .320 and 15 hr's and around 100-110 rbi by the end of the season.

[filihok]

ZIPS says .330 19 and 100 (http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3787&position=3B)

[metsguy234]

He's way too much of a free swinger. He needs to stop that, seriously.

[HoustonGM]

He's way too much of a free swinger. He needs to stop that, seriously.
Ha.

David Wright is not a "free swinger."

[metsguy234]

Ha.

David Wright is not a "free swinger."

He swings at everything, and strikes out way too much.

[HoustonGM]

He swings at everything, and strikes out way too much.
Striking out a lot != free swinger.

4.17 pitches per plate appearance, 19th in the majors.
43 walks, 17th in the majors.

Percentage of out-of-strike-zone pitches swung at, 19.8% - 135 hitters swing at more out-of-zone pitches than him.

In-zone pitches swung at, 65.8% - 78 hitters swing at more in-zone pitches than him.

Swing percentage, 42.1% - 104 hitters swing more than him.

[OregonDuck1989]

He's way too much of a free swinger. He needs to stop that, seriously.

Most swingers are free. Hookers cost money.

[xirr]

ZIPS says .330 19 and 100 (http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3787&position=3B)

Hrm, neat tool. I still say ZIPS is overoptimistic.

[xirr]

He was 0-3 with another K last night. At least he worked a walk.