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April 16, 2007
More On Wilkerson
As I mentioned last week, Brad Wilkerson’s problem in 2006 wasn’t staring at strike three, it was inability to make contact throughout the count. Pitch data available from BaseballReference.com confirms this:
| Year | 2001-2005 |
2006 |
| Plate Appearances | 2,690 |
365 |
| Pitches / Appearances | 4.28 |
4.19 |
| Strikes as % of pitches | 59% | 62% |
| -- % Looking | 34% | 29% |
| -- % Swinging and missed | 16% | 23% |
| -- % Swinging and fouled | 26% | 26% |
| -- % Swinging and hit into play | 24% | 22% |
| % of strikes swung at | 66% | 71% |
| % of all pitches swung at | 39% | 44% |
| % of pitches made contact with when swinging | 75% | 67% |
| % of appearances swinging at first pitch | 16% | 19% |
From 2001-2005, 59% of the pitches thrown to Wilkerson were strikes, and he swung and missed 16% of those strikes. In 2006, the strike percentage increased to 62%, and the percentage of those he whiffed rocketed to 23%. Wilkerson saw 1,529 pitches in his abbreviated 2006 season, meaning that he swung and missed an additional 97 pitches compared to previous years. He only played in 95 games, so that’s an extra missed pitch every game.
In 2006, Wilkerson also swung at all pitches more frequently (44% vs. 39% during 2001-2005) but made contact less often (67% vs. 75%). As noted in last week’s post, Wilkerson put the first pitch into play less often than any of 37 batters I surveyed. Yet he actually swung at the first pitch 3% more frequently than during 2001-2005.
Is there hope? Actually, yes. Wilkerson’s line of .222/.313/.370 isn’t much different than what he offered in 2006, but his strike/contact statistics have generally reverted to earlier years:
| Year | 2001-2005 |
2007 |
| Plate Appearances | 2,690 |
32 |
| Pitches / Appearances | 4.28 |
4.50 |
| Strikes as % of pitches | 59% | 57% |
| -- % Looking | 34% | 35% |
| -- % Swinging and missed | 16% | 17% |
| -- % Swinging and fouled | 26% | 24% |
| -- % Swinging and hit into play | 24% | 23% |
| % of strikes swung at | 66% | 65% |
| % of all pitches swung at | 39% | 37% |
| % of pitches made contact with when swinging | 75% | 74% |
| % of appearances swinging at first pitch | 16% | 19% |
Posted by Lucas at April 16, 2007 06:57 PM