Power hitter

Iconic Major League Baseball player Ted Williams, pictured here in 1949, is known as a famous "power hitter".[1]

Power hitter is a term used in baseball for a skilled player that has a higher than average ability in terms of his batting, featuring a combination of dexterity and personal strength that likely leads to a high number of home runs as well as doubles and triples. In baseball, a power hitter typically bats fourth or "cleanup" in a Major League lineup, which consists of 9 hitters in a rotating order.[2]

In terms of detailed analysis, looking at a player's ability as a power hitter often involves using statistics such as someone's 'slugging percentage' (a function that's calculated by evaluating someone's number of moments at bat in relation to the nature of their hits and strikes). 'Isolated Power' (ISO), a measure showing the number of extra bases earned per time at bat that's calculated by subtracting someone's batting average from his slugging percentage, is another statistic used.[3]

The concept generally is analogous to that of a power pitcher, a player who relies on the velocity of his pitches (perhaps at the expense of accuracy) and a high record of strikeout associated with them (statistics such as strikeouts per nine innings pitched are common measures).

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Williams was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Rees, Loren P., Terry R. Rakes, and Jason K. Deane. "Using Analytics to Challenge Conventional Baseball Wisdom." Journal of Service Science (Online), vol. 8, no. 1, 2015, pp. 11. ProQuest
  3. ^ Gaines, Cork (May 23, 2012). "The 20 Greatest Power Hitters Of All-Time". Business Insider. Retrieved October 21, 2015.

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