Bobby Kielty has the most equal split between how many at-bats he has had from each side of the plate, but he also has one of the more unequal OPS splits since he is 18% better, in terms of OPS, from the right side than he is from the left.
As is the case with most switch-hitters who do not hit similarly from both sides of the plate, Kielty has a wide power imbalance. Not only does he have a slugging percentage .125 points higher from the right side, his isolated power difference (slugging percentage minus batting average), a better indicator of how much true power a player has, is a hefty .71.
Perhaps his blinding red hair keeps the Oakland A's and himself from realizing right-handed at-bats are probably the way to go for him.
Carl Everett.gif "Wrong Batter's Box, Carl")
As LHB: .343 OBP/.468 SLG/.811 OPS in 1,400 at-bats
As RHB: .304 OBP/.381 SLG/.686 OPS in 493 at-bats
Carl Everett may not believe in dinosaurs, but he should believe that his 15% disparity in OPS is an indicator that switch-hitting is hurting him more than it is helping.
Or since OPS is not found in the Bible, does that mean it doesn't exist?
Although Everett is 7 at-bats shy of the 500 at-bat requisite mark, he could hit seven straight homers from the right side and still not bring his OPS percent difference below 10%.
Mark Bellhorn
As LHB: .357 OBP/.383 SLG/.739 OPS in 1,124 at-bats
As RHB: .357 OBP/.509 SLG/.866 OPS in 501 at-bats
There was probably a time when Mark Bellborn thought switch-hitting was a good idea and that he was going to ride it to the major leagues. If so, that day is over, and he should look at the 15% drop-off in OPS and realize it for himself. Since he probably will ignore his split, he will spend the rest of his career in a batter's box where his isolated power is .99 points lower than it is from the right side.
Would he be an above average hitter if he concentrated on one side of the plate? We will probably never find out.
Jason Varitek
As LHB: .348 OBP/.438 SLG/.787 OPS in 1,453 at-bats
As RHB: .384 OBP/.528 SLG/.912 OPS in 572 at-bats
Jason Varitek, captain of the Boston Red Sox, may be a surprise addition to this list, but there the numbers do not lie, and they say there is a 14% drop off in OPS. As captain, one can surmise it is Varitek's duty to do all he can to help out his team. Well, one thing he could do to help out the Sox would be to focus solely on his right-handed hitting and see if his numbers improve.
Article comments
1 - Silas Kain
If this a rhetorical question? Oops, this is about baseball. Never mind.
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
Odd that last week Gary Gillette tabbed Varitek and Berkman each as one of the top five switch hitters in each league. (Link requires subscription).
Berkman: "A natural lefty, Berkman is much more dangerous from the left side of the plate. He has a good swing and handles the bat very well, especially for a hitter with power, which makes him one of those rare sluggers who are also excellent on the hit-and-run."
Varitek: "An aggressive switch-hitter, Varitek has plus power to all fields. He consistently pounds left-handed pitching but is no slouch against right-handers, either. While he is a tough out, he can be seduced into chasing breaking pitches and high fastballs as evidenced by his 349 strikeouts in the past three seasons."
3 - David Barbour
It is odd considering that his wording seems to indicate even he realizes those two batters are much better hitting on side of the plate.
Correction: When you place the mouse over Mark Bellhorn's image, the caption should read "Try the Right Side, Bellhorn." Apologies.
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
I saw that too. Probably an indirect assertion that the plate appearances on that side is a net benefit for the batter's production.
Example: Adam Dunn bats left-handed. In the past three years his slugging is .100 points lower against lefties, total OPS down by about .150. If he hit on both sides of the plate and his OPS from the right was still down by .100, it would still be seen as poor performance from the right hand side.
I'm sure there's examples of people who quit the switch hitting and dedicated himself to one side (thus benefitting his batting), but it's Saturday night and I don't have the resources to use my memory.
5 - Anne
I agree Brian Roberts should try batting lefty all the time, but you are dead wrong about his defense. He's significantly above average in all stats except the seriously flawed range factor and in watching him on a regular basis as an Orioles' fan he certainly looks above average and is by far the best defensive infielder the Orioles have. His glove is certainly far superior to the aging Chris Gomez who would be his likely replacement if he were benched against some lefties. Giving up switch hitting might be difficult for him because his father who was the baseball coach at UNC for many years taught him to switch hit before he taught him to read, so it's not like most switch hitters who picked it up in high school or junior high. I still think he should give it a shot in Spring Training though.
6 - Mitch Bartlett
If you are a batting against a pitcher that pitches the same arm you are batting, there is a huge difference in the angle from which you see the ball. Seeing the ball better from the other side of the plate makes a huge difference. I think their numbers would be far lower if they stopped switch hitting.
7 - josh
1) Brian Roberts is not below average defensivley
2)Lance Berkman- home field 315 down the line to left field, hitting right handed is probably a good idea
3)Almost every big league hitter hits considerably worse when facing a pitcher that throws how he hits (ex. righty vs. righty). So how can you guarantee that these guys will hit better if they just hit from one side of the plate.
4)Major League pitching has a ton of movement, any advantage you can have with pitches breaking towards you is a big help.
5) I switch hit in college and it is a alot easier to track pithes
6) Alot of right handed throwers are right eye dominant, so its easier to pick up pitches hitting left handed with your left eye closest to the pitcher.
7)There are alot of "specialty relievers" who come in late in games such as sidearmers or submarine throwers who's job (lefty pitcher) is to get the tough lefty outs. Some of these guys are nearly impossible to hit unless your hitting from the other side of the plate.
8)These guys are professional baseball players, I'm sure they know what they're doing.
8 - Chadd
Lance Berkman is one of the best switch hitters of all time. The idea that he is on this list is laughable. Berkman puts more emphasis on his batting average and on base percentage than on his power numbers. The ability to see the ball better from the opposite side of the plate allows him to be a more selective hitter. He is known for his excellent eye and patience. His right handed swing is a line drive swing...his left handed swing is one of the sweetest in baseball. He is a pure hitter. Power is just one aspect of his well rounded game. He is content with a solid batting average and on base percentage right handed in lue of big slugging numbers. He's a throwback. Berkman's numbers alone put him on lists and in conversations with the best switch hitters of all time...hall of famers. Questioning a player of this caliber's judgment is ignorant.