Where Are Most Balls Hit In Baseball?

Check out this infographic to see where most balls are hit in baseball. You may be surprised at the results!

Introduction

In baseball, the ball is put in play on almost every pitch, and with a little bit of luck, the outcome can be a home run. However, most balls are not hit for home runs. In fact, according toStatistic Brain, only about 3% of all balls hit in baseball are home runs. So where are the other 97% of balls hit?

Body

There have been 5,929,572 hits in the 2019 baseball season so far. Out of those hits, where do you think most of them are hit? The most popular answer might be the outfield, but you might be surprised to find out that most hits are actually infield hits.

Fielding Zones

In baseball statistics, zone rating is a measure of how often a fielder successfully handles balls hit into his “zone,” compared to the league average. It is calculated by analyzing play-by-play data and planning “zones” on the baseball field, and comparing successful putouts made by fielders within those zones to the league average for each zone. A successes-per-attempts rate of 1.000 would represent an exactly average fielder, with a lower number representing below average fielding and a higher number representing above average fielding.

There are three major league baseball fielding positions: pitcher, catcher, and infielder/outfielder (known as an “either/or” position). Each position has specific requirements and responsibilities regarding the number of playable zones on the field; therefore, zone ratings will differ according to position.

Pitchers have the fewest zones to worry about, as their only responsibility is to defend home plate. The catchable area around home plate is broken down into 18 separate zones, with the vast majority of pitches falling into zones 11 through 18 (the so-called “strike zone”). Catchers have a bit more ground to cover, as they are responsible for defending all areas of the field in front of them. There are 26 separate zones that catchers must be prepared to defend; however, most pitches will be thrown to one of only four or five specific catcher’s zones.

Infielders/outfielders have by far the most ground to cover, as they are responsible for the entire half of the field not occupied by the pitcher or catcher (excluding foul territory). There are approximately 150 different infield/outfielder zones, though most plays will take place in one of only 60 or so specific areas.

Hit Types

To put it as simply as possible, a batted ball is classified according to where it is hit on the field. There are three classifications for hits: ground balls, line drives, and fly balls.

A ground ball is hit low and typically bounces before reaching the outfield. Ground balls are good for the offense because they are difficult for the defense to handle. They often result in base hits, but can also be turned into outs if the defense makes a good play.

A line drive is hit hard and generally travels straight. Line drives can be caught by infielders or outfielders, but they often fall for base hits.

A fly ball is hit high in the air and generally goes over the heads of the infielders. Fly balls can be caught by outfielders for an out, but they often fall for a base hit.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, the most balls are hit to left field, left-center field, and center field. It makes sense that balls hit to these parts of the field would be the most common, as most hitters are right-handed and tend to pull the ball. However, there are many factors that can affect where a ball is hit, so even though these areas see the most action, every part of the field gets its share of hits.