Quote:
Originally Posted by kckolbe
I get the logic, but has anyone actually tested to see if speed, by itself, improves batting average?
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I've never tested it, but I've had speedy players who couldn't hit a lick. Yes, all things being equal a faster player should have a higher batting average than a slow player, but that's not how baseball works. You can have all the speed in the world but if you, as has been noted, fly out too much, strike out too much, or generally lack hitting skills it won't matter. A speedy guy should be able to bunt for hits with great effectiveness, and if he doesn't have much power should be able to slap base hits to all fields and if the ball finds even a slight gap turn a single into a double or a double into a triple.
Speed is one skill among many. It takes a package of skills to make a fast guy an effective offensive weapon.