Should batting average go up for walking?

[DiamondBacks5117]

yes? or No? explain? I think yes its not the batters fault the pitcher walked them there average shouldnt stay the same. No one looks at one base percentage. They care more about average. Thoughts?

 

[BC867]

'Novel thought, 5117, but that's what on-base percent is for. And nowadays, OBP is looked at alot along with batting averages.

Also, changing the criteria would blow every batting average ever amassed out of the water. A .400 hitter would not be a .400 hitter. He'd still be a .330 hitter plus his walks and HBP, just as throughout baseball history.

Back to the drawing board.

 

[sundevil04]

no.

 

[DiamondBacks5117]

'Novel thought, 5117, but that's what on-base percent is for. And nowadays, OBP is looked at alot along with batting averages.

Also, changing the criteria would blow every batting average ever amassed out of the water. A .400 hitter would not be a .400 hitter. He'd still be a .330 hitter plus his walks and HBP, just as throughout baseball history.

Back to the drawing board.

I get what your sating it wouldn't be fair to change it now because of the record books. Look at it this way though, lets say you walk one out of every two at bats and never get a hit your batting average would be zero but they should award you with a 500 batting average not on base percantage which doesnt come up when they show the players stats when there batting and if they do show op its like one out of 15 batters. so they get no credit for walking.

 

[Brandon_Webb]

That's why there is both statistics? Unless your saying in broadcasts they should show OBP also when showing a hitters stats

 

[DiamondBacks5117]

That's why there is both statistics? Unless your saying in broadcasts they should show OBP also when showing a hitters stats

Yes they should a walk is just as good as a single. grace and sutton give credit for walks but they need to give more credit for them around the mlb.

 

[DWKB]

Batting Average is defined by hits divided by at bats. Every hit is also an at bat along with an out of any kind except sacrifice flies and certain defensive errors. Complicated, huh? Point is, a walk is not an at bat. To add a mark on the numerator and not a mark on the denominator completely loses it's equality properties.

In order to keep the integrity of the stat you'd need to add a mark to both the numerator and denominator when a walk occurs. This is basically on base percentage.

So either you are just suggesting replacing batting average with on base percentage or you're suggesting we change the fundamental properties of the percentage.

 

[DWKB]

Yes they should a walk is just as good as a single. grace and sutton give credit for walks but they need to give more credit for them around the mlb.

A walk is not as good as a single as it does not have the same advancement potential. A walk doesn't score a runner from 3B unless the bases are loaded. They just aren't worth as much as a single, but they are worth something.

 

[Nasser22]

Yes they should a walk is just as good as a single. grace and sutton give credit for walks but they need to give more credit for them around the mlb.

No it's not. Walks don't drive in runs.(N/M already said)

This is why there are stats such as OBP, OPS, etc...

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Just look at OPS, it's the closest widely accepted statistic to determine success at the plate although it's far from being perfect.

Honestly, there are close to zero baseball people anymore that care about batting average these days. If it were up to me I'd ban even mentioning the metric on this board.