Stat of the Day: The Effects of a Full Count

Out of the Red Sox starting nine, only one player is batting better than .250 with a full count this season. That player is David Ortiz. His BA with a full count is far away the best on the team; his .414 average is .164 higher than the Sox’s second best hitter with a 3-2 count, Kevin Youkilis (.250). I think this statistic explains why we love David so much. With the pressure on, and the Fenway Faithful on their feet, Ortiz comes through more often than any other Red Sock. In fact, even with Ortiz in the lineup, the Red Sox BA with a 3-2 count is .215. As a whole, the team batting average for the BoSox is .265, a full .50 points higher than our pipsqueak .215 with a full count. I didn’t know if this was a Boston idiosyncrasy, or if most teams struggle with a full count. So I took a look at the Yankee lineup. Their team BA with a full count is .264, whereas their team batting average, disregarding the count is .276, a difference of only .012 points. But more importantly, the Yankee BA with a full count is way better than what the Sox do when the count is full. Also, it may surprise you to know which Bronx Bomber has the best BA with a full count. No, not Mr. Clutch Derek Jeter, but Johnny Damon. His .429 average with a full count is even better than Big Papi’s!

So what have we learned after this rant? David Ortiz’s reputation for being good in clutch is no fallacy; he is in his element with the pressure on. In fact, his .414 3-2 BA is second only to the classic hitter’s count of 3-0. Also, when Johnny Damon is at the plate with a full count, be careful what you throw him. Next, the Red Sox lineup as a whole should not let the count run full all that much (especially Mike Lowell, who bats .111 with a full count), and should try their hardest to find a pitch to hit early in the count.