Location, Location, Location

The Baseball Analysts: Joe Sheehan

What we’re going to do with all the data baseball is throwing off beggars my imagination, but I know that Joe Sheehan’s excellent survey of pitch location data in this study simply scratches the surface. So for now just let the data wash over you, figure out the perspective on these intriguing charts, and wallow in the possibilities.

2 thoughts on “Location, Location, Location”

  1. “Just scratching the surface”…agreed. Any analysis of pitch location that doesn’t take into consideration pitch speed/type is inherently only telling half the story. You can’t draw conclusions on how pitchers try and get hitters out without all the substance they utilize.

    A massive undertaking it would be for sure, but someday someone will do the work and it will have some marrow.

  2. Scratches the surface…agreed.

    I’m not really sure what Sheehan is getting at here. Is he suggesting that this is how pitchers try and get out hitters…with location? Of course, location alone doesn’t even tell half the story. What about pitch speed? Or better yet, change in pitch speed? Pitch type? Count? Runners on base?

    As a generality, all he has shown is that pitchers prefer to stay away…no breakthrough that. I’d like to know why and when pitchers choose to come inside. Let someone sift through data on location, count and speed and then we may have some interesting nuggets.

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