1. #1
    Waterstpub87
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    Strike Out Park Factor reasons

    Looking at this: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leade...4&sortDir=desc

    I see that strikeouts are significantly more common in Tampa Bay, and Significantly less common in Colorado.

    Logically, if strikeouts are batters missing pitches or not swinging, I am not sure the source of the difference. Is it differences in foul lines? Are more fouls common, or are batters swinging less due to lower percentage chance of good outcomes on balls put in play?

    Especially for a dome stadium like Tampa Bay.

  2. #2
    yak merchant
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    Quote Originally Posted by Waterstpub87 View Post
    Looking at this: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leade...4&sortDir=desc

    I see that strikeouts are significantly more common in Tampa Bay, and Significantly less common in Colorado.

    Logically, if strikeouts are batters missing pitches or not swinging, I am not sure the source of the difference. Is it differences in foul lines? Are more fouls common, or are batters swinging less due to lower percentage chance of good outcomes on balls put in play?

    Especially for a dome stadium like Tampa Bay.
    Air density. Temperature and altitude ( with a little bit of humidity thrown in). Lower air density = less break = less strike outs. You’d have to do a full analysis trying to control for quality of pitcher and hitter variables but in the end it’s air density.

  3. #3
    Waterstpub87
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    Quote Originally Posted by yak merchant View Post
    Air density. Temperature and altitude ( with a little bit of humidity thrown in). Lower air density = less break = less strike outs. You’d have to do a full analysis trying to control for quality of pitcher and hitter variables but in the end it’s air density.
    Incredible helpful yak. This is a good explanation, and something I did not consider. Unfortunately, makes my process more difficult, but that is ok. Better to know the truth.

  4. #4
    stevenash
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    Quote Originally Posted by yak merchant View Post
    Air density. Temperature and altitude ( with a little bit of humidity thrown in). Lower air density = less break = less strike outs. You’d have to do a full analysis trying to control for quality of pitcher and hitter variables but in the end it’s air density.
    Very astute.

    Wade Boggs, a bit of a kook in real life but knows the science of hitting better than most humans alive also says the ball they are using at the time is a factor too.

    Boggs once said numerous times in his career they he crushed some pitches that were just popups to the infield and said also there were times he hit a ball of the end of his bat that had no business going near the warning track clear the wall.

    It's density and not to be neglected is the ball, is it a juiced superball?
    Boggs has said he's seen some of the 'dead ball's he's hit that were so soft the ball had a dent in it after impact.

  5. #5
    yak merchant
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    Quote Originally Posted by stevenash View Post
    Very astute.

    Wade Boggs, a bit of a kook in real life but knows the science of hitting better than most humans alive also says the ball they are using at the time is a factor too.

    Boggs once said numerous times in his career they he crushed some pitches that were just popups to the infield and said also there were times he hit a ball of the end of his bat that had no business going near the warning track clear the wall.

    It's density and not to be neglected is the ball, is it a juiced superball?
    Boggs has said he's seen some of the 'dead ball's he's hit that were so soft the ball had a dent in it after impact.
    the question was about strikeouts. The ball has a lot more to do with scoring than strikeouts over the years. There are years that stats, especially homeruns that cannot really be explained outside a change in the ball. So yes the ball has had “juiced” periods over the years, and then the whole humidor thing at Coors is an example that environmental factors definitely can have and affect. But the only thing that really changed strikeouts from the ball perspective was the change to the laces.

    https://theathletic.com/381544/2018/...listers/?amp=1

  6. #6
    Waterstpub87
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    I was hoping to find statistics I would not have to adjust to weather. For example, could you find something predictive, and adjust it to conditions. But if it is due to pitching, out of zone swinging, misses ect. could be effected by weather. Oh well, adjusting to weather it is.

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