[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by Dogberry99

I know this is a total tangent, but I'd like to reply to this here...

I am of the personal opinion, based on nothing more than anecdotal observations, that current statistical analysis does not sufficiently calculate the added value of speed. It is difficult to find the true value of, for example, the distraction it causes a pitcher, making them more likely to throw a mistake pitch that the batter can take advantage of, or errors that are the result of rushed throws by defenders. I think all this leads to speed being undervalued, and I hope that moving forward there will be some team that finds a way to adjust their value assessment to account for this.

Of course, this has been studied. Most studies find that there is no real advantage to the batter in having a speedy runner on first.

we find that with 0 outs there is no effect on the batter from a prolific base stealer starting on first base. With 1 out, there is a 24 point wOBA disadvantage to the batter, and with 2 outs, there is a 31 point advantage to the batter. Overall, that leaves around a 3 or 4 point negative effect on the batter. Given the relatively small sample sizes of this study, one would not want to reject the hypothesis that having a prolific base stealer on first base has no net effect on the batter’s performance.

https://mglbaseball.com/2014/09/13/d...or-the-batter/