Early spring training trend highlights renewed focus from SF Giants pitching staff

The SF Giants pitching staff has been focusing on throwing first-pitch strikes and the results have been encouraging. The Giants' staff leads the majors with 9.82 pitches per innings so far this spring.

Early spring training trend highlights renewed focus from SF Giants pitching staff

First-pitch strikes usually lead to quick outs and quick innings. Throwing the fewest pitches per inning is the feedback loop that the staff is getting first-pitch strikes.

I should add that caveat that spring training stats just do not carry much weight. However, this is more of a process stat than it is an outcome stat. It highlights an emphasis by new Giants pitching J.P. Martinez to get ahead of the count early, but why does it even matter?

Well, opposing hitters slashed .333/.344/.560 on the first pitch of the at-bat last year. That triple-slash rate dropped to a .214/.261/.341 line after an 0-1 count. However, hitters registered a .255/.372/.430 after a 1-0 count.

The odds of getting an out increase after getting that first-pitch strike. So do the odds of getting a strikeout and avoiding a walk. Obviously, pitching staffs want to get strikeouts and avoid walks.

The Giants have done a nice job of both so far in spring training. They currently lead baseball with a 10.34 K/9 rate as well as a 2.28 BB/9 rate. Again, it is hard to put any weight into spring training stats but it the Giants do seem to be pitching effectively in the strike zone.

Perhaps, the high strikeout rate is a trend that will carry over from last season. The Giants were seventh in baseball last season with a 9.01 K/9 rate but were 21st with a 3.30 BB/9 rate.

The high walk rate is not surprising considering they had pitchers like Blake Snell, Robbie Ray, and Hayden Birdsong in the rotation. While all three can tally high strikeout totals, they also walk a fair share of batters.

A general rule of thumb in baseball is that teams with a high rate of strikeouts over walks tend to be the better pitching staffs in baseball. That starts with getting that first-pitch strike.

The Seattle Mariners (3.84 SO/W rate), Minnesota Twins (3.46 SO/W rate, and Atlanta Braves (3.46 SO/W rate) led baseball in SO/W rate last year. Not surprisingly, the Braves and Mariners were tied for the lead in baseball last season with a 3.49 ERA.

It might be a detail that gets lost as the season progresses. For now, the Giants seem to be focusing on getting ahead early for quick innings on defense.