Friday, March 29th, 2024

Is bunting overrated?

May 30, 2013 by  
Filed under Coaching

At the Major League level, bunting has become a thing of the past with 
the exception of pitchers in the National League.  Old school people
 hate this modern trend against bunting but statistically speaking,


Definitely not overrated at the high school level.

Definitely not overrated at the high school level.

bunting at the Major League level does seem to be a bad strategy in
 general.  The reason for this is that the defensive team in Major League
 baseball almost always get an out on the play.  Sometimes two outs when
 the ball is bunted poorly by slow runners (pitchers).  Defenders
 footwork, timing, transition quickness, accuracy, and arm strength all 
conspire to make the sacrifice bunt’s success rate of leading to runs 
pretty poor.
  

But is this also true at the lower levels?  I say NO and I say it
 emphatically.


I don’t know what the statistics at the lower levels say but I guarantee
 they are not the same as they are at the Major League level.  An out on 
a sac bunt at the lower levels is most definitely not guaranteed.  Just
 watch a ball that is bunted a few feet in front of home plate.  What happens
 next will sometimes amaze you.  Fielders trip and fall.  They collide
 with other players.  They can’t pick up the ball.  Balls are thrown down
 the right field line.  Basically, anything that can go wrong will go 
wrong at the lower levels.
  

If you coach at a lower level, don’t make the mistake of thinking
 that Major League statistics apply to you and your team.  No matter how
 you do it, consistently forcing the other team to make the plays will go
 a long way in helping you score runs and win games.

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