How Well You Really Know Baseball

Think you know baseball? Well, take this test to see if you are a true student of the game.

Tip: Grab a pen and paper to write down your answers as you go.

If you are ready for the challenge, take the following test to see How Well You Really Know Baseball.

1.) How often does a pitcher throw the first pitch (0-0 count) for a strike?
A. 51%
B. 56%
C. 61%
D. 66%

2.) What is the most productive 2-2 pitch for a RHP vs. a RHH?
A. Fastball
B. Breaking Ball
C. Changeup
D. All pitches are equally productive

3.) You are the hitter. It is the first pitch of an at-bat. What percentage of the time of the time do you get a fastball?
A. 47%
B. 57%
C. 67%
D. 77%

4.) Last year, a team swung and missed 804 times. What percentage of the time were the pitches they swung and missed at out of the strike zone?
A. 33%
B. 43%
C. 53%
D. 63%

5.) The count is 0-0. You are the batter. What percentage of the time are you getting a FB in the strike zone on an on a 0-0 count?
A. 30%
B. 40%
C. 50%
D. 60%

6.) You are a coach, and you like to get an off speed pitch (breaking ball or changeup) on which to steal. What are the three most non-fastball counts in baseball?
A. 0-1, 0-2, 1-2
B. 0-2, 1-1, 2-1
C. 0-1, 1-1, 1-2
D. 1-1, 1-2, 2-2

7.) You are the batter. The count is 0-0. You are thrown a strike. What percentage of the time do you take it?
A. 30%
B. 40%
C. 50%
D. 60%

8.) When a batter makes fair ball contact (he puts it into play), what percentage of the time is it a hit?
A. 49%
B. 44%
C. 38%
D. 33%

9.) If a batter swings and misses at a breaking pitch, what percentage of the time does the pitcher throw a breaking ball on the next pitch?
A. 42%
B. 52%
C. 62%
D. 72%

10.) On a 0-0 count, the pitcher throws a breaking ball for a ball. The count goes to 1-0. What percentage of the time does a pitcher throw another breaking ball?
A. 16%
B. 26%
C. 36%
D. 46%

11.) On which two counts is the batter most likely to get a hit off a pitch thrown for a strike?
A. 0-0, 1-1
B. 1-0, 2-0
C. 2-1, 3-1
D. 1-2, 3-2

12.) What percentage of batters that have a 1-0 count eventually reach base?
A. 44%
B. 54%
C. 34%
D. 24%

13.) How often does a pitcher throw a FB for a strike? A BR for a strike? A CH for a strike?
A. FB-51%, BR-48%, CH-49%
B. FB-57%, BR-52%, CH-54%
C. FB-62%, BR-57%, CH-58%
D. FB-68%, BR-64%, CH-65%

Click "Read More" below to see the answers!

Answers
1.) B 56%. RHP vs. RHH has the highest percentage of first pitch strike at 60%. On the 0-0 count, a FB is thrown for a strike 58%, a BR 52%, and a CH 51%.

2.) B Breaking Ball. 26% of all RHH thrown a breaking ball by a RHP on 2-2 eventually reach base--while 31% of batters thrown a fastball and 34% of batters thrown a changeup eventually got on.

3.) C 67%. Only the RHP versus the RHH matchup is below 67%. (63%). Amazingly, a LHP starts off the LHH with a FB 69% of the time. For you left handed hitters that don’t handle a BR very well from a LHP, look to be swinging early in the count. A batter sees a BR on the first pitch only 21% of the time!

4.) B 43%. The more disciplined the batter, the tougher he is to get out. There are big rewards for contact in the game of baseball.

5.) B 40%. On the 0-0 count, when the pitcher is a different handedness from the batter (LHP vs. RHH or RHP vs. LHH), the percentage of time you get a breaking pitch in the strike zone is only 7%!

6.) D 1-2, 1-1, 2-2. Bet you didn't realize that 1-1 and 2-2 are greater non-fastball counts than 0-1 and 0-2. In fact, 0-2 is a fairly high FB count.

7.) D 50%. Half of all 0-0 pitches thrown for strikes are taken. Only the 3-0 pitch is taken more often.

8.) D 33% of all balls put into play result in hits! 4% result in errors. Therefore, batters reach base about 37% of the time they put the ball into play. This explains why it is very beneficial to take the 2-0, 3-0, 3-1 pitch in specific cases.

9.) B 52%. There is a big exception to this 52%. When a LHP faces a LHH, and the hitter swings and misses at a breaking pitch, he gets another breaking ball 62% on the next pitch. If a batter swings and misses at a fastball he, gets a fastball on the next pitch 68% of the time!


10.) B 26%. Most are very surprised by this number. It is thought to be much lower. Ironically, on a 1-1 count (another even count) if a pitcher throws a breaking ball for a ball (count goes to 2-1), he follows with another breaking pitch only 15% of the time.

11.) D. Batters get a hit off 13% of all 1-2 pitches thrown for strikes and 14% off a 3-2 pitch. Batters are more likely to get a hit off a strike in these counts because they are more likely to swing. But, you thought batting averages were over 100 points lower with two strikes? That is true, but that does not mean batters hit poorly with two strikes. A contradiction? No.

12.) A. 44% of all batters that have a 1-0 count eventually reach base. Conversely, 23% of all batters that have an 0-1 count eventually reach base. That is a spread of 21% by simply getting an 0-0 strike! Remember, batters are taking 50% of the time on 0-0.

13.) C FB-62%, BR-57%, CH-58%. To much surprise, a LHP throws a breaking ball for a strike to a LHH only 52% of the time. However, a RHP throws the breaking ball for a strike to a RHH 59% of the time.