We frequently hear the term “pitch framing” but what exactly is it?
Ben Lindbergh and Dave Valle were on MLB Network’s Clubhouse Confidential, hosted by Brian Kenny, to talk about pitch framing from the statistical analysis and the playing side.
Before you dismiss this as just more inside baseball gobbledygook, Joe Maddon is quoted on this video explaining the 50-run differential created by Jose Molina‘s pitch framing capability.
Valle further explains how important it is for the catcher to be “quiet” behind the plate.
Here’s the video from Clubhouse Confidential
One of the most important data points in Lindbergh’s explanation are the walk and the strikeout ratios for each team.
Here are the BB/9 and K/9 ratios for all 30 teams in 2012
| Tm | W | L | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI | 81 | 81 | .500 | 3.94 | 2.6 | 7.5 |
| ATL | 94 | 68 | .580 | 3.42 | 2.9 | 7.7 |
| BAL | 93 | 69 | .574 | 3.90 | 2.9 | 7.1 |
| BOS | 69 | 93 | .426 | 4.72 | 3.3 | 7.3 |
| CHC | 61 | 101 | .377 | 4.51 | 3.6 | 7.2 |
| CHW | 85 | 77 | .525 | 4.02 | 3.1 | 7.8 |
| CIN | 97 | 65 | .599 | 3.34 | 2.6 | 7.7 |
| CLE | 68 | 94 | .420 | 4.79 | 3.4 | 6.8 |
| COL | 64 | 98 | .395 | 5.22 | 3.6 | 7.2 |
| DET | 88 | 74 | .543 | 3.77 | 2.8 | 8.3 |
| HOU | 55 | 107 | .340 | 4.57 | 3.4 | 7.4 |
| KCR | 72 | 90 | .444 | 4.30 | 3.4 | 7.3 |
| LAA | 89 | 73 | .549 | 4.02 | 3.0 | 7.3 |
| LAD | 86 | 76 | .531 | 3.35 | 3.3 | 7.9 |
| MIA | 69 | 93 | .426 | 4.10 | 3.1 | 7.0 |
| MIL | 83 | 79 | .512 | 4.22 | 3.3 | 8.7 |
| MIN | 66 | 96 | .407 | 4.77 | 2.9 | 5.9 |
| NYM | 74 | 88 | .457 | 4.09 | 3.1 | 7.8 |
| NYY | 95 | 67 | .586 | 3.86 | 2.7 | 8.2 |
| OAK | 94 | 68 | .580 | 3.50 | 2.8 | 7.0 |
| PHI | 81 | 81 | .500 | 3.86 | 2.5 | 8.6 |
| PIT | 79 | 83 | .488 | 3.91 | 3.1 | 7.5 |
| SDP | 76 | 86 | .469 | 4.01 | 3.4 | 7.6 |
| SEA | 75 | 87 | .463 | 3.76 | 2.8 | 7.2 |
| SFG | 94 | 68 | .580 | 3.68 | 3.0 | 7.7 |
| STL | 88 | 74 | .543 | 3.71 | 2.7 | 7.5 |
| TBR | 90 | 72 | .556 | 3.19 | 2.9 | 8.5 |
| TEX | 93 | 69 | .574 | 4.02 | 2.8 | 8.0 |
| TOR | 73 | 89 | .451 | 4.64 | 3.6 | 7.1 |
| WSN | 98 | 64 | .605 | 3.34 | 3.0 | 8.1 |
| LgAvg | 81 | 81 | .500 | 4.01 | 3.1 | 7.6 |
| Tm | W | L |
Compare it to the same ratios and ERA in 2011
| Tm | W | L | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI | 94 | 68 | .580 | 3.80 | 2.8 | 6.6 |
| ATL | 89 | 73 | .549 | 3.48 | 3.2 | 8.1 |
| BAL | 69 | 93 | .426 | 4.89 | 3.3 | 6.5 |
| BOS | 90 | 72 | .556 | 4.20 | 3.3 | 7.5 |
| CHC | 71 | 91 | .438 | 4.33 | 3.6 | 7.7 |
| CHW | 79 | 83 | .488 | 4.10 | 2.7 | 7.5 |
| CIN | 79 | 83 | .488 | 4.16 | 3.3 | 6.8 |
| CLE | 80 | 82 | .494 | 4.23 | 2.9 | 6.3 |
| COL | 73 | 89 | .451 | 4.43 | 3.2 | 7.0 |
| DET | 95 | 67 | .586 | 4.04 | 3.1 | 7.0 |
| FLA | 72 | 90 | .444 | 3.95 | 3.1 | 7.5 |
| HOU | 56 | 106 | .346 | 4.51 | 3.5 | 7.5 |
| KCR | 71 | 91 | .438 | 4.44 | 3.5 | 6.7 |
| LAA | 86 | 76 | .531 | 3.57 | 2.9 | 6.5 |
| LAD | 82 | 79 | .509 | 3.54 | 3.2 | 8.0 |
| MIL | 96 | 66 | .593 | 3.63 | 2.7 | 7.8 |
| MIN | 63 | 99 | .389 | 4.58 | 3.0 | 6.0 |
| NYM | 77 | 85 | .475 | 4.19 | 3.2 | 7.0 |
| NYY | 97 | 65 | .599 | 3.73 | 3.1 | 7.5 |
| OAK | 74 | 88 | .457 | 3.71 | 3.2 | 7.2 |
| PHI | 102 | 60 | .630 | 3.02 | 2.5 | 7.9 |
| PIT | 72 | 90 | .444 | 4.04 | 3.3 | 6.4 |
| SDP | 71 | 91 | .438 | 3.42 | 3.2 | 7.1 |
| SEA | 67 | 95 | .414 | 3.90 | 2.7 | 6.8 |
| SFG | 86 | 76 | .531 | 3.20 | 3.4 | 8.1 |
| STL | 90 | 72 | .556 | 3.74 | 2.8 | 6.8 |
| TBR | 91 | 71 | .562 | 3.58 | 3.1 | 7.1 |
| TEX | 96 | 66 | .593 | 3.79 | 2.9 | 7.4 |
| TOR | 81 | 81 | .500 | 4.32 | 3.3 | 7.2 |
| WSN | 80 | 81 | .497 | 3.58 | 3.0 | 6.5 |
| LgAvg | 81 | 81 | .500 | 3.94 | 3.1 | 7.1 |
| Tm | W | L |
