10/13/2026
🥎 EVERY PITCH CHANGES THE AT-BAT.
This is some really good information from Division I softball, and I think every hitter and parent should understand what it means.
Not all strikes are equal. Not all balls are equal. And every pitch changes the advantage between the hitter and the pitcher.
The biggest lesson from this graphic is that hitting isn't just about having a good swing. It's about putting yourself in a position to be successful.
1. The count matters more than most young hitters realize. Look at the difference in offensive production depending on the count.
OPS combines on-base percentage and slugging percentage. In simple terms, it measures a hitter's ability to get on base and hit for power. Higher is better.
These numbers represent the eventual results of college plate appearances that reached each count, not just what happened on the next pitch.
Think about this: A hitter who reaches a 3-1 count is in a much better position to succeed than a hitter who falls behind 0-2.
Why? Because the pitcher has less room for error. The hitter can be more selective and focus on pitches she can drive.
2. One of the most important pitches is the 1-1 pitch.
1-1 → BALL828 OPS at 2-1
1-1 → STRIKE526 OPS at 1-2
That's a massive difference in expected offensive production, depending on what happens on one pitch.
For a young hitter, the lesson isn't to swing at everything on 1-1.
It's to understand the importance of recognizing a good pitch and being prepared to attack it.
If it's a pitch you can drive, be aggressive. If it's a ball, take it.
The goal isn't simply to avoid strikes. The goal is to make good swing decisions.
The 2-1 pitch might be the most important pitch in the entire graphic.
Look at what happens depending on the outcome:
2-1 → 3-1 (Ball): OPS jumps from .828 to 1.082 (+.254).
2-1 → 2-2 (Strike): OPS drops from .828 to .631 (−.197).
That's a .451 difference in OPS between the two possible counts!
3. Chasing pitches makes hitting significantly harder. Here's a number that really stands out to me. Chase rate by strike situation
22% Before two strikes
45% With two strikes
Chase rate is the percentage of pitches outside the strike zone that hitters swing at.
Why does chasing increase with two strikes?
Because hitters are trying to protect the plate. They're afraid of striking out looking, so they begin swinging at pitches they would normally take.
Pitchers know this. They deliberately throw pitches outside the zone hoping hitters will chase.
And this is why developing strike-zone awareness is so important.
With two strikes, hitters do need to select their approach appropriately, especially on borderline pitches. But that doesn't mean swinging at everything.
4. Getting ahead doesn't automatically mean you should swing.
Look at the 3-0 count.
The OPS for hitters who reach 3-0 is 1.254, the highest of any count in this graphic.
But that doesn't mean swinging at a 3-0 pitch is automatically a good decision.
It means hitters who reach 3-0 are in an extremely favorable situation.
They can wait for something they can handle, and the pitcher is under pressure to throw strikes.
The same applies at 2-0 and 3-1.
A good hitter understands that being aggressive doesn't mean swinging more. It means attacking the right pitches.
5. What does this mean for your daughter?
Imagine two players with identical swings and identical physical ability.
Player A swings at pitches outside the zone, regularly falls behind 0-2 and finds herself fighting to stay alive.
Player B recognizes pitches earlier, takes balls, attacks strikes she can drive and regularly gets into favorable counts.
Even though both players have the same swing ability, Player B is putting herself in better situations to succeed.
That's why hitting development has to involve more than mechanics. It has to involve learning how to compete within an at-bat.
6. What should young players actually practice?
This is where I think the information becomes especially valuable for player development.
-Strike-zone recognition: swing at strikes often, chase less.
-Pitch selection: Understand the difference between a strike and a pitch you can actually drive.
-Count awareness: Understand how the count should influence your approach.
-Two-strike hitting: Learn to compete without chasing pitches you can't handle.
-Swing ex*****on: Develop the ability to make consistent contact when you make the correct decision to swing.
A hitter can have excellent mechanics, impressive bat speed, and tremendous power.
But none of that matters very much if she consistently swings at pitches she can't hit well.
And there's another side of this: A hitter can make excellent swing decisions but still struggle if she can't execute her swing.
These are areas we can develop, practice, and measure. And over time, better decisions combined with better swing ex*****on give hitters a better opportunity to produce positive results.
Win pitches. Win at bats.
Swing Angry. Train Different. Get results.
