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Pull hitter
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In baseball, a pull hitter is a batter who predominately hits the ball to the side of the field from which they bat. They are also known as a puller.
Definition
[edit]A right-handed hitter stands on the left side of home plate and "pulls" the ball by sending it to the left side of the diamond. If the ball goes to the right side from a right-handed hitter, it has gone to the "opposite field". Players who rarely hit to the opposite field or the middle are called dead pull hitters. In general, pullers are meeting the ball earlier at the plate.[1]: 674
History
[edit]Baseball lexicographer Paul Dickson recorded a usage of "pull hitter" in a 1925 column by Chilly Doyle in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "The Pirate catcher (Earl Smith) is one of the league's 'pull' hitters; that is, Earl, a lefthand batter of the slugging type, smashes most of his wallops to rightfield."[2] The term was common by 1928 when Babe Ruth used it in Babe Ruth's Own Book of Baseball. In a section on "Correcting Batting Faults", he wrote, "Most fellows who can't hit curve balls are chaps who stride out of line or 'pull away' from the ball. Most batters who have trouble with slow ball pitching are 'pull' hitters. That is, they are meeting the ball 'out front.'"[3]: 164
Ted Williams wrote, "the ideal hit is a pulled ball 380 feet because that's a home run in most parks in the big leagues".[4] Charley Lau explained, "the best pitch to pull is one thrown on the inner half of the plate", i.e. the side closest to the hitter.[5] Rod Carew pointed out that trying to pull the ball reduces the hitting area by at least half.[6]
The ability to hit the ball to anywhere on the field is an extremely valuable skill. Some of the sport's best hitters will pull inside pitches and hit outside pitches to the opposite field.[7]: 44 Opposite field hitting is less often referred to as "pushing" the ball.[3]: 187 [1]: 677
Shifting
[edit]It is common for managers to implement the defensive tactic known as "shifting" for pull hitters. Players are moved to the side of the field where the pulled hit is likely to come. In 1923, defenses regularly shifted for Cy Williams, and throughout his career, Ted Williams faced the shift.[8]
For a left-handed power hitter like Harold Baines, a full "shift" moves the third baseman to the shortstop's normal position. The shortstop shifts to shallow right field between the first and second basemen. The outfielders will also shift towards the right side of the field. Analysts found that when the shift is on, pitchers also tend to throw more to the inside to encourage pull hits.[9]
As Sabermetrics developed, teams had more accurate information about batting tendencies, and they deployed the shift more frequently. In 2010, teams shifted 3,323 times. By 2017, the league was shifting 33,218 times a season.[10] In 2023, Major League Baseball essentially banned the full shift by requiring two infielders on either side of second base before each pitch.[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Dickson, Paul. The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, 3rd edition. WW Norton, 2009.
- ^ "Pull Hitter — Baseball Dictionary". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ a b Ruth, George Herman. Babe Ruth's Own Book of Baseball. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1928.
- ^ Williams, Ted., Underwood, John. The Science of Hitting. India: Touchstone, 1986. 41–2.
- ^ Lau, Charley, and Jeffrey Flanagan. Lau's Laws on Hitting. Addax Publishing Group, 2000. 18.
- ^ Carew, Rod and Frank Pace, Armen Keteyian. (2012). Rod Carew's Hit to Win: Batting Tips and Techniques from a Baseball Hall of Famer. MVP Books, 2012. 81.
- ^ Suzuki, Ichiro, and Jim Rosenthal. Ichiro's Art of Playing Baseball: Learn How to Hit, Steal, and Field Like an All-Star. St. Martin's Press, 2006.
- ^ Pavitt, Charlie. "Plummeting Batting Averages Are Due to Far More Than Infield Shifting, Part One: Fielding and Batting Strategy", Baseball Research Journal. Spring 2024.
- ^ Carleton, Russell A. “The Walk Penalty and the Death of the Shift.” Baseball Prospectus. August 19, 2020.
- ^ Greenberg, Neil (2018). "MLB's Opening Day featured unconventional lineups and bizarre defensive shifts: Analytics continue to leave its mark on Major League Baseball". The Washington Post. ProQuest 2019974930. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ Miller, Scott (September 22, 2022). "M.L.B. Bans the Shift and Adds a Pitch Clock for 2023". The New York Times. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
Pull hitter
View on GrokipediaFundamentals
Definition
A pull hitter in baseball is a batter who consistently directs the ball toward the side of the field corresponding to their batting hand, such as a right-handed batter hitting toward left field or a left-handed batter toward right field.[1][8] This tendency arises from contacting the ball earlier in the swing path, often described as hitting "ahead" of the ball's trajectory.[1][2] Key characteristics of pull hitters include a natural rotation in the swing that favors line drives or ground balls to the pull side, driven by the momentum of the bat accelerating through the zone.[2] Unlike adjustments at the contact point that might influence direction, pulling primarily stems from the batter's timing and body rotation rather than precise ball placement. To illustrate, consider a standard baseball field from the batter's perspective: the pull side for a right-handed batter is left field (between third base and the left-field foul line), while the opposite field is right field. For a left-handed batter, these directions reverse, with the pull side in right field.| Batting Hand | Pull Side | Opposite Field |
|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | Left field | Right field |
| Left-handed | Right field | Left field |
Comparison to Other Hitting Styles
Pull hitting, where a batter directs the ball toward the same side of the field as their handedness—left field for right-handed batters and right field for left-handed ones—prioritizes generating power through a direct, aggressive swing path.[9] This approach contrasts with opposite-field hitting, in which the batter pushes the ball to the opposite side—right field for right-handers and left field for left-handers—typically employing an inside-out swing to make contact on outside pitches and emphasize placement over raw power.[10] Opposite-field hitters often achieve higher contact rates and exploit gaps by adapting to pitch location, reducing the risk of weak contact on away balls, whereas pull hitters may struggle with outside pitches, leading to ground balls or misses.[10] All-fields hitting represents a more versatile style, where batters aim to spray the ball across the entire outfield based on pitch trajectory and location, balancing power and contact without rigid commitment to one direction.[11] This adaptability allows for broader gap coverage but can dilute specialized strengths, as hitters who distribute batted balls evenly across fields show no overall performance edge over those favoring pull or opposite directions.[12] Switch-hitting, a variation that enables batters to alternate sides of the plate, often incorporates elements of both pull and opposite styles to optimize matchups against pitchers, providing platoon advantages without fixed directional biases.[13] Key differences in these styles lie in their trade-offs between power output and defensive predictability. Pull hitting excels in producing higher exit velocities and launch angles conducive to extra-base hits, with pulled batted balls yielding superior weighted runs created per plate appearance (wRC/AB) at 0.191 compared to 0.099 for opposite-field contact.[14] However, it limits field coverage, making hitters more susceptible to defensive alignments. Opposite-field hitting, by contrast, promotes line drives and singles with a batting average of 0.286 on such balls versus 0.346 for pulls, fostering unpredictability and better overall hit rates on varied pitches.[14] All-fields approaches mitigate these extremes by enabling dynamic adjustments, though they may sacrifice peak power since swing speeds are typically 3-4 mph higher on pull-side swings than opposite.[15] The following table summarizes comparative advantages and disadvantages based on batted ball outcomes and strategic implications:| Hitting Style | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Pull Hitting | Generates superior power and home run potential; highest wRC/AB (0.191).[14] Higher batting average on hits (0.346).[14] | Reduced gap coverage; increased ground ball rate and defensive shifts.[11] Predictable tendencies limit adaptability.[10] |
| Opposite-Field Hitting | Enhances contact on outside pitches; avoids shifts through placement focus. Higher line-drive rates.[10] | Lower power output and wRC/AB (0.099); fewer extra-base hits.[14] Reduced exit velocity compared to pull side.[15] |
| All-Fields Hitting | Provides versatility and unpredictability; covers all gaps for consistent contact.[11] | No performance superiority over specialized styles; potential power dilution.[12] Requires precise pitch recognition. |
| Switch-Hitting Variations | Optimizes platoon edges by selecting side for pull or opposite; flexible directional control.[13] | Demands ambidextrous proficiency, which can complicate timing and consistency.[13] |
