Aaron Nola, the more helped and hurt in counts in MLB
In the last decade in MLB, Aaron Nola was involved in more than 1,000 pitches in which umpires called strikes that were balls and vice versa.
TAMPA, Fla. — Kevin Gausman scored 709 called strikes during the last decade with pitches outside the strike zonetied for the third-highest total in the Major Leagues.
“I would have thought maybe he was in the top 20, but being in the top five is crazy. I guess the verdict is still not completely clear. We’ll see what happens and how we have to adjust,” said Gausman, a right-handed pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.
There will be winners and losers with the Automated Ball and Strike System (ABSfor its acronym in English), which will make its regular season debut on Wednesday night, when the New York Yankees play the San Francisco Giants. Using Hawk-Eye technology, 12 cameras measure whether a pitch crosses the strike zone with an accuracy of about one-sixth of an inch.
PITCHERS WITH MORE SONG STRIKES THAN WERE BALLS
Kyle Hendricks led the majors with 777 called strikes over the past decade on pitches that should have been balls, according to MLB Statcast. They followed him Aaron Nola (747)Gausman and Zach Davies (709 each), Kyle Gibson (697), Patrick Corbin (694), Marcus Stroman (671), Zack Greinke (667), Martín Pérez (647) and Kyle Freeland (631).
“I guess that’s a good thing because you make balls look like strikes,” Nola said. “There are going to be maybe good and bad things, but I think that the good, in big situations and in big games, is going to help a lot. We have seen over the years that our side loses games because of a bad decision.”
PITCHERS WITH MORE SONG BALLS THAN WERE STRIKES
In the opposite direction, Corbin led the Major Leagues in balls that should have been called as strikes, with 470. He was followed by Chris Sale (461), Nola (460)Carlos Rodón (450), Yu Darvish (442), Sonny Gray (439), José Berríos (438), Steven Matz (436), and Jon Gray and Justin Verlander (435 each).
“All the umpires always had like… they give you a little bit here, they’re a little strict there. As a hitter and as a pitcher, you know that. But it’s all because of the way they position themselves and see certain areas better than others,” said Verlander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and back with the Detroit Tigers for the start of his number one season in the Major Leagues. “And now I think they’re put in a situation where they have to call this theoretical zone, instead of creating their own strike zone, which they’re probably much more consistent with.”
BATTERS WITH MORE SONG STRIKES THAN WERE BALLS
Mookie Betts led hitters in called strikes that should have been balls, with 714.
“He knows the strike zone as well as anyone and it does seem like he comes out worse in a lot of decisions. He’s a guy I would definitely trust to challenge a decision,” he highlighted. Dave Robertshe manager of the Dodgers.
Following Betts were Eugenio Suárez (684), José Ramírez (657), Paul Goldschmidt (656), Aaron Judge (653), Marcus Semien (631), Xander Bogaerts (625), Alex Bregman (603) and Christian Yelich (594).
“When we didn’t have a challenge system, you just tried to do your best and understand that there are things that are out of your control. Definitely, players who are a little more patient are always going to have that. We just understand that’s the nature of it,” Goldschmidt said.
BATTERS WITH MORE CUNTED BALLS THAN WERE STRIKES
Giancarlo Stanton had 440 called strikes on pitches outside the strike zone and 351 calls on pitches that should have been strikes.
“With the challenge, you can change the entire game right there. If you overturn a call, that could extend 15, 20 more pitches for a pitcher,” said Stanton, the Yankees’ designated hitter.
Carlos Santana received the most balls that should have been called as strikes, with 636. He was followed by Mike Trout (612), Suárez (558), Ramírez (554), George Springer (539), Andrew McCutchen (513), Cody Bellinger (487), Freddie Freeman (471) and Ryan McMahon (466).
HOW THE STRIKE ZONE WILL NOW BE CALCULATED
Statcast has been calculating based on the rulebook strike zone in front of home plate and using the batter’s stance. Starting this year, it will calculate it with the ABS strike zone measured in the center of the plate and based on the height of the batter.
Teams attempted to prepare players by using ABS in batting practice and having the scoreboard signal ball/strike decisions.
A 1-1 pitch can often tip an at-bat. Nola saw ABS in use last August when he made three injury rehab starts at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
“We are going to have to see what the umpires do, if they are really going to be as strict as they were there,” he said.
DOWN AND UP PERCENTAGES
Statcast showed that 1.6% of pitches outside the zone were called strikes last year, down from 2.1% in 2024 and the most accurate figure since 4.2% when tracking began in 2008.
Only 2.1% of pitches in the zone were ruled balls, a slight increase from 1.7% in 2024, but well below the 4.3% in 2008.
Pitchers who thrived on making calls just past the edge can lose those strikes, and memorable missed calls can be reversed, like Mark Langston’s 2-2 fastball to Tino Martinez in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series, which went over the plate and over his knees, but was called as a ball by then-retired umpire Richie Garcia. One pitch later, Martínez hit a grand slam to break the tie, propelling the Yankees to a 9-6 victory and a four-game sweep.
García does not wish the ABS had existed back then.
“I prefer to take the criticism,” he said.
