20 Points to any Baseball expert that can answer this question

[Rich Boy]

Why do right handed batters have better numbers against left handed pitching?

What the hell is the big difference.

To get the 20 points you gotta have an answer that explains this scientifically

[Albert Pujols]

The breaking pitches curve towards you, not away from you. Also, you pick up the ball out of the pitcher's hands easier. Nothing really scientific, it's just common sense.

[eidolon]

Facing the opposite side, you can see the ball coming at you a lot clearer.

[diamond]

In baseball, due to the direction in which curveballs break, it is generally accepted that the pitcher has an advantage when his handedness is the same as the batter's, and the batter has an advantage when they are opposite. For this reason, many baseball teams include a left-handed specialist pitcher, who is brought into the game specifically to pitch to dangerous left-handed batters in crucial situations.

wiki is your friend.

[Albert Pujols]

Facing the opposite side, you can see the ball coming at you a lot clearer.

Yep, just edited my post and said the same.

[Naz18]

Easier to see..

[eidolon]

If you want a scientific reason: Like I said earlier, they see the ball coming at them; Seeing a ball coming towards you instead of away: For this reason you can see the ball for a split second longer with both eyes. So it has to do with seeing the ball being released from the pitchers hand with ball eyes, and also the angle at which both eyes see the ball coming towards the plate.

The total area of the triangle of where ball is and both eyes is greater when the ball is being pitched from the opposite side (left hand batter, right hand pitcher; and vice-versa).

[Rich Boy]

Like the triangle explanation, makes sense... thank you eidolon..


20 more points to whoever can explain it scientifically as well (not using eidolons answer)

[Shortstop]

In my opinion, it is psychological.

I hit right handed and I would much rather hit off a righty than a lefty.

The pitch I had the most trouble with was a sharp tailing fastball from a lefty that would start over the center of the plate and end up 4-6 inches outside. Very tough to lay off and if you do make contact you'll end up popping out to the right side or grounding out to second.

Just my thoughts...

[Shortstop]

I remember facing this lefty in college that had a wicked screwball. Unreal the way the ball moved!

[diamond]

interesting thoughts here: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b...0080711a1.html

[tblues2005]

I think it has something to do with seeing the ball more clearly.

[saintjames]

because it is much easier to see , read & hit when the baseball is headed in your direction but it is much more difficult to see , read & hit when the baseball is tailing away from you...timing is everything no matter what side the batters bat on

[str]

If the pitcher is pitching from the 3rd base side of the rubber ,the ball is actually let go at or behind the hitters body at the release point, with the appropriate angle to where it is aimed.If that righty pitcher pitched from the 1st base side of the rubber it would be in a direct path to the plate from the release point and able too be seen much sooner and obviously the ball is on a much straighter line to the plate.
When Randy Johnson pitched to John Kruk in the All Star game and Kruk was backing out( lefty to lefty and a famous all star moment) he was on the 1st base side of the rubber and was letting it go behind Kruk's head at 90+.Curve balls can start off even further inside and the illusion at those speeds back almost all players out or move there balance to the hitters heels instead of the balls of there feet where it must be to insure balance and a proper swing.
Also remember that the swing is initiated simultaneously to the ball being released with the front step going straight out towards the pitcher and the foot landing with the toes at a 45% angle to the pitcher and the heal up.Hard to get in that position trusting that a ball that is at your head or behind you will do what you hope it will.

[jayroy25]

Breaking towards you it speeds the bat up way more than a breaking pitch going away from a hitter

[xyzky]

The breaking pitches curve towards you, not away from you. Also, you pick up the ball out of the pitcher's hands easier. Nothing really scientific, it's just common sense.

[Muddy]

The breaking pitches curve towards you, not away from you. Also, you pick up the ball out of the pitcher's hands easier. Nothing really scientific, it's just common sense.

How can you not take someones word who is batting over .300?

[str]

The position of the ball when you make contact is what drives the bat speed.The pitch on the inside 1/2 of the plate from the hitters vantage point is going to be hit BEFORE it actually reaches the plate,thus a longer swing from the starting point of the bat and therefore a swing that has had longer to gain speed because of the torque that the hitter generated. A pitch on the outside corner to the hitter needs to be hit when the ball is 1/2 way through the plate so the swing will be shorter in length and therefore not as fast.You have to let the ball get that deep in the strike zone in order to be able to hit it without throwing your hands at it. If your hands leave the axis of rotation centered within the hitters body, your bat speed will immediately decrease. That is why Ted Williams always said that "history is made in the inside 1/2 of the plate".
When guys hit balls WAY out they are pulled or to they're power alley and center. When they go the other way they might still get out but not with the same drive and force that a longer swing to the ball will have.

[str]

Thanks RB!

[eidolon]

Thanks Rich

[obamaismyuncle]

Facing the opposite side, you can see the ball coming at you a lot clearer.

[gryfyn1]

Read here pls --

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/the-advantage-of-batting-left-handed/

[warriorfan707]

Righties are more comfortable in the box hitting against lefties

[dodger33]

Plain and simple. The hitters first focus is on pitchers release point. If a hitter can pick up the pitch out of the pitchers hand he has that much longer to determine whether or not he wants to swing. If a hitter can pick up the pitchers grip or ball rotation he will know whether if its off speed or a fastball right away. It is easier for a righty batter to see a lefty pitchers release point and vise versa.

[tltaylor89]

It all depends on the hand eye coodination of the batter also by batting a right vs a left they usually try to pull the ball into the part of the fiel the picthers throwing hand preference is.