Big Papi Hitting a Baseball Far, Twice

Last night David Ortiz (Big Papi) hammered two home runs against the Detroit Tigers.  These weren’t balls that barely got out either, the first one was an example of how hitting a baseball when the count is in your favor greatly improves your chances.  To illustrate how important it is to learn how to be patient up at the plate, let’s take a look at Big Papi’s splits over the past three years (2007-2009).  Below you’ll see his batting average in different hitting counts:

0-0 – .324
0-1 – .304
0-2 – .134
1-1 – .338
1-2 – .132
2-0 – .311
2-1 – .422
2-2 – .210
3-0 – .500
3-1 – .391
3-2 – .279

The moral of the story hear is that if you want to be consistent in hitting the baseball, work the pitcher into a count that is in your favor.  Why the high success rate for Ortiz in counts where he is ahead?  Better chance at getting a fastball.  In youth baseball where pitchers haven’t fully developed confidence in their off-speed pitches, the percentage chance that you get a fastball in a count in your favor goes through the roof.  All you have to do is be patient and you’ll see a fat pitch or two per at bat like the one Ortiz mashed in the clip below.

David Ortiz Home Run – on the 3-1 count I might add.

Hitting Mechanics 101 Tutorial