NFL Scores Col. Sports W Col. Most of the emphasis on the new strike zone's impact has focused on the game as a whole. As we covered at the Baseball Prospectus and Rob Neyer did in his Wednesday column, strikeouts are up, walks are down, and the combination has had a big impact on run scoring, which is down significanly in both leagues. At the risk of becoming a one-trick pony, I want to take one more column to discuss the new strike zone.
Baseball revolves around the strike zone.
Hitters who possess the skill of plate discipline can not only draw the walks that lead to a good on-base percentage, but also get into good hitters' counts and drive up their batting and slugging averages, putting runs on the board. Conversely, pitchers who throw strikes put fewer runners on base and have the advantage on more hitters. So it stands to reason that in a season in which the strike zone has been modified, teams that adjust more quickly will have success. While there is no absolute relationship, there definitely is a trend that indicates teams which are adjusting the best to the new environment are performing the best at the plate. And as Rob Neyer wrote about, the team that stands out is the San Diego Padres.