POLL~ .600 Batting average

[RADcatchers]

*Because there is such a broad range of goals and talent levels in softball.
Let me set the stage for this poll.

A parent of a player who's team is showcasing in 16u/18u.
*goal college ball.
Says their daughter batting average is .600
*on her travel team.

What are the dfp perspectives on that .600 #?

Enjoy the topic!
Add your perspectives!
GO DFP

 

[NJZoo]

If it's true, I say put it on there. We have a girl on my daughter's team who hits over .500 every season and has hit over .600 one or two seasons. She's the best hitter I've seen - power to hit it over the fence and speed to beat out a routine ground ball to shortstop. In her case, the video will back up the stats.

 

[Rolling Hard]

.600 is probably a slapper with great speed playing against soft competition getting ROE counted as base hits.
But some slappers get the opposite treatment. SS bobbles the ball, it's scored as a ROE but she was most likely going to be safe without the bobble.
If you have a right-handed batter hitting .600, I would be checking box scores and see how many 0-4 and 4-4 games she has had. There's nothing wrong with intentionally padding your stats when playing softer pitching. In fact, you better be padding your stats whenever you can.
I know some players that bat .550-
600 on their HS team but bat closer to .300 when playing TB in So Cal.

 

[Rolling Hard]

If it's true, I say put it on there. We have a girl on my daughter's team who hits over .500 every season and has hit over .600 one or two seasons. She's the best hitter I've seen - power to hit it over the fence and speed to beat out a routine ground ball to shortstop. In her case, the video will back up the stats.

I have seen these types of players. They almost never strike out. Almost always barrels up the ball. They have a batting cage in their backyard and practice daily. You have to semi intentionally walk them. The problem is, some teams have 2 or 3 of these type of hitters. Those teams win a lot. These players get phone calls on September 1st.

 

[Vertigo]

If the player has non-parent coaches who can back up those numbers then I’d say feel free to use them. It’s on the college recruiting coach to watch the player to see if they feel they are playing good competition that could also verify those numbers.

ETA: If it gets a college coach to come watch her then using the stat was justified. I would assume (hope) most college coaches know which TB teams consistently play good competition in the well-known showcases. If she’s playing on the “Hittin’ Kittens” (thanks, Orange Socks ) and consistently playing lower level competition then the number probably won’t be considered anything special by a college coach.

 

[dogpatch]

The only way stats can mean anything is if all players face the exact same opponents under similar conditions. Assuming competent scorekeeping, unusually high batting averages would strongly indicate consistently weak competition. A .450 batting average against constant top pitching could be a better hitter than a .600 batting average against constant low level pitching. Since players within a team all face the same opponents, the use of batting averages is of value to a coach in judging the effectiveness of his/her players, but they mean little beyond that. Parents, fans, and sports media all dwell on the stats that college coaches pay little or no attention to in the recruiting process! Parents should do their daughters a favor and de-emphasize stats!

 

[NJZoo]

I have seen these types of players. They almost never strike out. Almost always barrels up the ball. They have a batting cage in their backyard and practice daily. You have to semi intentionally walk them. The problem is, some teams have 2 or 3 of these type of hitters. Those teams win a lot. These players get phone calls on September 1st.

Yep, she leads our team in fewest strike outs every season. She had 0 strike outs this past Spring/Summer in 120 at bats. No batting cage in her yard though

 

[Gambler Bob]

Many different scenarios where a player can bat .600 for a season in softball.

Could be a good player playing against shitty caliber players.
Could be a great player playing against other great teams. These are the girls that end playing at Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, etc. Keep in mind the summer travel ball season is pretty short. You only get about 100 plate appearance give or take, you get hot for a couple tournaments and you can certainly bat .600. Get cold for a few tournaments and you can hit .200.

I would much rather know a players OPS than batting average. Huge difference in a batter that hits .500 with a 1.500 ops vs a batter that hits .500 with a .900 ops

 

[RADcatchers]

The only way stats can mean anything is if all players face the exact same opponents under similar conditions. Assuming competent scorekeeping, unusually high batting averages would strongly indicate consistently weak competition. A .450 batting average against constant top pitching could be a better hitter than a .600 batting average against constant low level pitching. Since players within a team all face the same opponents, the use of batting averages is of value to a coach in judging the effectiveness of his/her players, but they mean little beyond that. Parents, fans, and sports media all dwell on the stats that college coaches pay little or no attention to in the recruiting process! Parents should do their daughters a favor and de-emphasize stats!

College coaches that I've interacted with were not interested in a hitting statistic. But there were times that they watched intently how a batter did against a specific pitcher at showcasing.


* .600 leaves questions on the table. High probability its padded in some way.

 

[RADcatchers]

There's nothing wrong with intentionally padding your stats when playing softer pitching. In fact, you better be padding your stats whenever you can.

Huh...padding stats...or padding ego...
Seems thats a reason stats are less accurate.
The reason to not believe the accuracy.