The Kansas City Royals; avoiding the two-strike count

Let’s give Wade Davis some credit for being smart; everybody talks about his stuff, but he’s has got some brains behind all those fastballs, cutters and curves.

Here’s what I mean: Wade once told me that if a pitcher could find a way to throw strike one on the first pitch, a lot of at bats were practically over.

Here’s why:

Hitters do not want to strike out and the best way to not strike out is to avoid a two-strike count.

So if the pitcher can throw a well-located fastball or get-me-over curve or slider for strike one, a lot of hitters will expand the zone and chase marginal pitches in an effort to avoid that two-strike count.

Once they get into a two-strike count, hitters have to be…