In MLB, the count is really, really important.
We have said countless times that it’s not the same for both pitcher and hitter to be on a 3-1 count than to be in an 0-2 count.
It changes the pitcher’s and the batter’s approach.
When a hitter reaches two strikes, he usually shortens the swing and tries to make contract rather than taking a big, power hack.
The approach is more defensive but despite this, lots of two-strike pitches result in a strikeout.
Los Angeles Angels ace Shohei Ohtani was MLB’s leader in converting two-strike situations to actual strikeouts, which is not surprising given his numbers, his high-90s fastball, disgusting splitter and overall dominance.
Michael Simione of SP Streamer illustrated how good Ohtani is at converting these two-strike at-bats into punchouts.
“Pitchers who have the highest strikeout rate with a two-strike count: 1) Ohtani 27% 2) McClanahan 26% 3) Strider 25.9% 4) Scherzer 25.3% 5) Peterson 24.8% 6) Burnes 24.7% 7) Kershaw 24.6% 8) Nola 24.5% 9) Bieber 24.4% 10) Cole 24.2%,” he tweeted.
Pitchers who have the highest strikeout rate with a two-strike count:
1) Ohtani 27%
2) McClanahan 26%
3) Strider 25.9%
4) Scherzer 25.3%
5) Peterson 24.8%
6) Burnes 24.7%
7) Kershaw 24.6%
8) Nola 24.5%
9) Bieber 24.4%
10) Cole 24.2% pic.twitter.com/nv8jkqglpY— Michael Simione (@SPStreamer) November 29, 2022
True Strikeout Prowess
The tweet may not be all that clear, but Simione explained in the replies that the data is about how often did a pitcher record a strikeout when he had the batter at two strikes, expressed in pitches, not in plate appearances.
In these situations, there could be balls, there could be fouls, and there could weak contact mostly.
Home runs and hard-hit balls are also possible, but relatively rare.
As it turns out, Ohtani struck out the hitter in 27 percent of those pitches, which is not surprising.
He is one of MLB’s elite strikeout artists, and fanned 219 hitters in 166 innings.
Oh, he also had a 2.33 ERA and probably deserved more Cy Young votes.
He is a truly especial player, capable of putting an ERA in the low-2.00s and hitting more than 30 homers in the same season.
NEXT: Angels Make A Depth Move To Help The Pitching Staff