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Is a walk as good as a hit ?
Goldenage
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Over a season, what has more value to a team ? A single or a walk ?
Singles can result in outs with runners trying the extra base. Walk’s don’t.
Walks can raise pitch counts.
Which is better ? A walk or a single ?
Can it be said that a walk is as good as a hit ?
1
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There are so many variables that it's not a simple yes or no question
The answer as asked is no, my answer is sometimes.
Overall, no. It comes out that a walk has about 2/3 the value of a single.
A little more than half of a player's walks and singles come with nobody on base and thus those are of equal value.
The rest of the situations it varies from a walk and single being close in value to a single being much more valuable.
In the end, you are looking at 2/3 the value.
I'm not a stats guy but when it comes to inning leadoff walks it seems they almost always seem to come around and score. I'm sure someone out here has a stat for that percentage of inning leadoff walks that scores and I'd guess it's rather high. I guess it all comes down to when in the inning or spot in the game the walk happens. Watching Kenley Jansen blow a game last night for my Braves showed a spot where walks can be as effective as a single.
I think there's probably some degree of truth to this, but I think it's a different issue than the value of a walk vs. the value is a single (which 1948 has covered). Pitchers who walk the leadoff hitter are, in general, probably not pitching their best. That is to say, the universe of pitchers who walk the leadoff hitter are more likely to give up more walks or hits after that than pitchers who gave up a single to the leadoff hitter. And no, I have absolutely no facts to back up this position,but it makes sense to me.
by definition, a walk is as good as a single bc both put you on 1rst base. But a single can drive in runs, a walk can't unless base loaded, so a single has an edge over a walk quite often..........
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it all depends.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Sometimes. ;-)
I think the value of a walk increases as a game innings start to add up. Also, they have a certain psychological affect on pitchers, managers and teams. If Joe Fabeets smacks a sharp single up the middle there usually isn't much of a reaction. Walks can make pitchers and managers crazy. How often have you seen a batter get down 0-2, get back into the count and run it full while he fouls off a few pitches. All of a sudden the pitcher has thrown 8-10 pitches and Joe Fabeets is standing on first.
To add to your point, walks also frustrate fielders who. when a ball is actually hit. may not be as sharp and ready to field their respective positions. They can be more disruptive than face value at times.