What’s the balance between being patient and giving up strikes? It’s something I’ve been thinking about lately when it comes to the Yankees. They were second in baseball last year in walk rate and top ten in overall on-base percentage. Clearly, this is a disciplined team that understands how to work the count.
This can also be a detriment, depending on what pitches a player is taking. Working a walk is always a positive outcome, but if along the way a batter passed up a chance at a more positive outcome, well that’s an opportunity cost he can’t recoup.