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Batting Ratings

Batting Ratings - what makes up the offensive player

Discipline (DI)

Discipline reflects how well the batter can recognize balls and strikes, and be patient enough to only swing at good pitches. DI has a dramatic effect on walks and a lesser effect on strikeouts (usually on called strikes). High Discipline doesn't necessarily mean you hit better - but it does mean your on-base percentage will be a lot higher. Also, Discipline makes you a little more (or less) likely to be hit by a pitch, since you're taking more (or less) pitches. An average player (.260 AVG, .330 OBP, 105 SO in 600 PA) with a DI=100 will primarily walk a lot more and strike out a little less (.262 AVG, .427 OBP, 83 SO in 600 PA). Famous players with high Discipline: Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

Contact (CN)

Contact reflects how well the batter can make contact when he decides to swing. Whereas Discipline has a big effect on walks and a small effect on strikeouts, Contact does the opposite - dramatically affecting your strikeout chances, and slightly affecting your walk chances. Contact has a very small effect on your ability to get a single or double (sometimes just making contact is enough), and has a slight effect on the Ground Ball/Fly Ball ratio (high contact batters will keep the ball down a little better). Give the average player (.260 AVG, .330 OBP, 105 SO in 600 PA) a CN=100 and he's likely to come in with stats around .271 AVG, .349 OBP with 38 SO in 600 PA. Famous players with high Contact: Tony Gwynn, Joe DiMaggio

Batting (BA)

Batting reflects how well the batter hits for average. This has the most pronounced influence over the ability to hit singles and doubles, and has a slight influence over the triple and home run totals. Batting also has a small influence over walks and strikeouts - the higher the Batting, the less strikeouts and more walks, though not nearly to the degree that DI/CN affect those outcomes. GB/FB ratio is also affected by this - again, presuming that when you hit for average you tend to keep the ball down a little better. Our average player (.260 AVG, .330 OBP, 15 HRs in 600 PA) with a BA=100 gets significantly better (.344 AVG, .429 OBP, 17 HRs in 600 PA). (Note that the increase in OBP is primarily due to the 84 point increase in batting average.) Famous players with high Batting: Wade Boggs, Ted Williams, Ty Cobb

Slugging (SL)

Slugging reflects how well the batter hits for power. If you want home runs, you want SL. Slugging basically converts singles to extra-base hits without increasing the overall batting average much. Think of a .330 hitter with 10 HRs and a .330 hitter with 40 HRs. Neither had more hits; the second guy simply had less singles (and maybe doubles) and more home runs. High Slugging also affects walks, since pitchers try to pitch around those power hitters more often; strikeouts, since you tend to miss a little more often when swinging for the fences; and GB/FB ratio, since the home run shots that don't quite make it tend to be fly ball outs. The average Joe (.260 AVG, .330 OBP, 15 HRs in 600 PA) becomes a heck of a slugger with SL=100 (.262 AVG, .360 OBP, 60 HRs in 600 PA). Famous players with high Slugging: Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Hank Aaron

Speed (SP)

Speed reflects how well - and how fast - the player runs the bases. SP is not just a measure of raw speed - it's a combination of speed plus baserunning instincts. Aside from the obvious influence on stolen bases, Speed will also influence the rate and success of a player taking extra bases, tagging up, and breaking up double plays. The average player will attempt to steal in about 1 in 16 chances. The player with SP=100 will steal about 1 in 2 chances. Famous players with high Speed: Lou Brock, Willie Mays