Postseason Batting - It's Hanley and Everyone Else

I've been watching these games and seeing the success of the Red Sox and Dodgers (Pirates as well) bats and the futility of the Tigers, Rays, Cards, and A's and wanted to see how they were succeeding and struggling even beyond the averages.

Let's take a deep dive into the batting prowess of each team

Who's Fooling Who? (Batters as of October 7, 2013)

	P	PA	Swng%	Miss%	Strk%	InPl%	Foul%	Zone%	Chas%	ClStk%	AVG	BABIP
Los Angeles Dodgers (LAD)	446	120	51.3%	24.0%	65.7%	34.9%	41.0%	46.0%	31.5%	29.5%	.333	.419
Tampa Bay Rays (TB)	405	109	48.6%	30.5%	64.9%	35.0%	34.5%	47.7%	31.6%	31.7%	.208	.258
Oakland Athletics (OAK)	309	68	48.5%	36.7%	63.1%	22.0%	41.3%	43.4%	32.0%	28.3%	.177	.313
Pittsburgh Pirates (PIT)	551	149	47.7%	23.6%	62.6%	41.8%	34.6%	44.3%	29.3%	28.5%	.277	.294
Atlanta Braves (ATL)	468	109	47.2%	24.4%	62.4%	30.3%	45.2%	46.6%	31.2%	28.7%	.221	.313
Detroit Tigers (DET)	266	68	46.6%	19.4%	62.4%	39.5%	41.1%	44.7%	31.3%	29.6%	.219	.292
Boston Red Sox (BOS)	294	80	46.6%	19.7%	63.3%	42.3%	38.0%	49.7%	23.0%	31.2%	.352	.411
St. Louis Cardinals (STL)	421	109	43.7%	17.9%	62.2%	44.0%	38.0%	47.7%	23.6%	32.9%	.219	.234

Created by BaseballAnalytics.org on 10/7/2013

What stands out:

• The Dodgers are not afraid to swing against the Braves pitching.
• The Dodgers and Red Sox have an unsustainable batting average for balls in play.
• Look how few pitches the Braves are putting play and then you see the A's are putting way fewer in play. Both teams have a .313 BABIP.
• The A's have been missing a lot of Tigers pitches and really have to be thrilled with a 1-1 tie in the series.
• The Tigers are really struggling against the A's pitching and really have to be thrilled with a 1-1 tie in the series.
• The Red Sox are showing great discipline at the plate not doing a lot of swing and missing and not chasing a lot of pitches out of the zone. They are confident enough to take called strikes and work the count. They are not being fooled by Tampa Bay pitching.
• In contrast, the Cardinals are not swinging at a lot of pitches, they missing very few, they're not chasing a lot of pitches, and they are not hitting in good luck, in part because we've seen they are not taking good swings at pitches.

Prince Fielder needs to take a called strike

Here's some thoughts:
Prince Fielder needs to chill. Josh Donaldson is creating new wind currents with his swings-and-misses. Delmon Young is swinging at almost everything. Hanley Ramirez is a beast. Marlon Byrd loves being a Buc. Yasiel Puig of his own, rakes. If Jacoby Ellsbury continues the way he's been playing, Scott Boras will go deaf from all the ka-chings he keeps hearing for the soon-to-be free agent.
Here's why:

Top 20 Swingers as of October 7, 2013

	P	PA	Swng%	Miss%	Strk%	InPl%	Foul%	Zone%	Chas%	ClStk%	AVG	BABIP
Delmon Young (TB)	34	11	70.6%	41.7%	76.5%	37.5%	20.8%	41.2%	60.0%	20.0%	.333	.250
Juan Uribe (LAD)	46	13	65.2%	30.0%	71.7%	33.3%	36.7%	50.0%	43.5%	18.8%	.333	.375
Stephen Vogt (OAK)	36	7	63.9%	21.7%	77.8%	17.4%	60.9%	38.9%	54.5%	38.5%	.143	.250
Prince Fielder (DET)	26	8	61.5%	6.3%	61.5%	50.0%	43.8%	46.2%	28.6%	0.0%	.125	.125
Jose Iglesias (DET)	31	7	61.3%	15.8%	74.2%	31.6%	52.6%	41.9%	55.6%	33.3%	.167	.200
Hanley Ramirez (LAD)	57	14	59.6%	11.8%	66.7%	35.3%	52.9%	42.1%	42.4%	17.4%	.538	.545
Evan Gattis (ATL)	57	12	59.6%	20.6%	68.4%	23.5%	55.9%	40.4%	44.1%	21.7%	.500	.625
Yoenis Cespedes (OAK)	34	8	58.8%	20.0%	67.6%	30.0%	50.0%	47.1%	38.9%	21.4%	.500	.600
Torii Hunter (DET)	24	8	58.3%	28.6%	66.7%	28.6%	42.9%	41.7%	50.0%	20.0%	.143	.250
Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS)	28	9	57.1%	18.8%	82.1%	43.8%	37.5%	67.9%	33.3%	58.3%	.556	.714
Justin Morneau (PIT)	60	18	56.7%	23.5%	73.3%	44.1%	32.4%	53.3%	32.1%	38.5%	.294	.333
Freddie Freeman (ATL)	55	13	56.4%	25.8%	67.3%	29.0%	45.2%	54.5%	28.0%	25.0%	.333	.444
Marlon Byrd (PIT)	51	16	54.9%	32.1%	62.7%	42.9%	25.0%	31.4%	40.0%	17.4%	.333	.364
Chris Johnson (ATL)	44	12	54.5%	37.5%	75.0%	29.2%	33.3%	54.5%	40.0%	45.0%	.333	.571
Starling Marte (PIT)	76	18	53.9%	24.4%	63.2%	31.7%	43.9%	51.3%	32.4%	20.0%	.188	.167
Carl Crawford (LAD)	52	15	53.8%	25.0%	73.1%	32.1%	42.9%	51.9%	36.0%	41.7%	.286	.375
Josh Reddick (OAK)	41	8	53.7%	27.3%	58.5%	18.2%	54.5%	41.5%	25.0%	10.5%	.143	.250
Yasiel Puig (LAD)	43	14	53.5%	39.1%	67.4%	39.1%	21.7%	34.9%	32.1%	30.0%	.462	.667
Josh Donaldson (OAK)	30	8	53.3%	56.3%	70.0%	25.0%	18.8%	50.0%	40.0%	35.7%	.125	.250
Stephen Drew (BOS)	32	9	53.1%	23.5%	65.6%	41.2%	35.3%	46.9%	29.4%	26.7%	.222	.286

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The Hanley Ramirez Report

Jacoby Ellsbury has had a great couple of games, but this is Hanley's world, we just live on it.

.300 Hitters (10/7/2013)

	G	PA	AB	H	XBH	BB	AVG	OBP	SLUG	OPS	BABIP	K
Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS)	2	9	9	5	1	0	.556	.556	.667	1.222	.714	2
Hanley Ramirez (LAD)	3	14	13	7	6	1	.538	.571	1.231	1.802	.545	1
Andrew McCutchen (PIT)	4	18	13	7	1	5	.538	.667	.615	1.282	.583	1
Yoenis Cespedes (OAK)	2	8	8	4	2	0	.500	.500	1.125	1.625	.600	2
Shane Victorino (BOS)	2	9	8	4	0	0	.500	.556	.500	1.056	.571	1
Evan Gattis (ATL)	3	12	10	5	0	2	.500	.583	.500	1.083	.625	2
A. J. Ellis (LAD)	3	12	8	4	2	2	.500	.636	.750	1.386	.667	2
Yasiel Puig (LAD)	3	14	13	6	0	0	.462	.500	.462	.962	.667	4
Desmond Jennings (TB)	3	11	10	4	1	1	.400	.455	.500	.955	.500	2
Russell Martin (PIT)	4	16	13	5	2	1	.385	.375	.846	1.221	.333	4
Dustin Pedroia (BOS)	2	9	8	3	1	0	.375	.333	.500	.833	.429	2
David Ortiz (BOS)	2	9	8	3	3	1	.375	.444	1.250	1.694	.200	1
Yadier Molina (STL)	3	12	11	4	2	1	.364	.417	.727	1.144	.333	1
Matt Adams (STL)	3	13	11	4	1	1	.364	.462	.455	.916	.400	1
Adrian Gonzalez (LAD)	3	14	14	5	1	0	.357	.357	.571	.929	.444	4
Omar Infante (DET)	2	7	6	2	0	1	.333	.429	.333	.762	.500	2
Marlon Byrd (PIT)	4	16	15	5	3	1	.333	.375	.667	1.042	.364	3
Juan Uribe (LAD)	3	13	12	4	1	0	.333	.333	.583	.917	.375	3
James Loney (TB)	3	11	9	3	1	1	.333	.455	.444	.899	.429	2
Freddie Freeman (ATL)	3	13	12	4	1	1	.333	.385	.417	.801	.444	3
Delmon Young (TB)	3	11	9	3	1	1	.333	.364	.667	1.030	.250	1
Chris Johnson (ATL)	3	12	12	4	0	0	.333	.333	.333	.667	.571	5
Carlos Beltran (STL)	3	13	12	4	3	1	.333	.385	.917	1.301	.222	1
Alex Avila (DET)	2	7	6	2	0	1	.333	.429	.333	.762	.500	2
Pedro Alvarez (PIT)	4	16	13	4	3	2	.308	.375	.846	1.221	.250	4

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