The Kansas City Royals are considering paying their pitchers bonuses to give up home runs.
Let us explain.
Last year, the Royals were the worst team in baseball at throwing first-pitch strikes. Even if that wasn’t the only reason they went 65-97, with the fourth-worst team ERA and the second-worst strikeout rate, it was definitely one of the reasons. Getting ahead early in counts has obvious, demonstrable value that compounds over the course of a game and a season. A pitcher can induce a strike by expertly painting the corners or fooling a hitter with a pitch out of the zone, but the simplest way is by throwing a pitch over the plate.