Description
The "hanging pitch" is a colloquial phrase used by media pundits and fans alike, although a precise definition does not seem to exist. This paper uses empirical techniques, relying on previous research on the physics of pitch movement in baseball, to model the likelihood that a given pitch would be barreled, assuming contact was made. An expected barrel rate threshold, approximately 8%, is then set as our hanging criteria, which is used to classify each pitch as hanging or not. We then use our classification to test internal and external factors that impact the probability of throwing a hanging pitch. We identify that pitcher usage plays a role; pitchers are less likely to throw hanging pitches the more they throw in a season, game, or at bat. We also identify that there is some season-to-season correlation for giving up hanging pitches, although the driver of that correlation is still undefined.| Period | Mar 15 2020 |
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| Event title | SABR Analytics Conference |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Phoenix, United StatesShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | National |