Is It A Walk Or a Hit By Pitch on 3-2 Count?
Have you ever seen a batter in baseball get hit by a pitch on a full count then advance to first base? Did you then wonder, is it considered a walk or a hit by pitch on a 3-2 count? While it may seem irrelevant, as the result is a runner on first base regardless, the answer is important in regards to scoring and statistics for both players and teams. Read on to find out the answer, as well as the difference between a walk and a hit by pitch, and how they are scored.
Walk vs. Hit-by-Pitch
In short, the answer to the question, “is it a walk or a hit-by-pitch on a 3-2 count?” is that it’s classified as a hit-by-pitch and not a walk. If a batter gets hit by a pitch outside of the strike zone and does not complete (checks) their swing, it will always be ruled a hit by pitch, no matter what the ball and strike count is.
Definition of a Walk
A walk, technically called a base on balls and notated BB, occurs when a batter receives four pitches in an at-bat that the umpire rules as balls. Balls are pitches outside the strike zone that the batter does not swing at.
The strike zone is the area in space that exists between the left and right sides of home plate and extends from a batter’s shoulders down to their knees when they are crouched in their batting stance. If the batter completes their swing, it is called a strike regardless of the location of the pitch. When a batter receives their fourth ball in a single at-bat, a walk is called, and they are automatically awarded first base without the possibility of being called out.
Definition of a Hit-by-Pitch
Notated as HBP, a hit-by-pitch occurs when a batter is hit by a pitch that falls outside of the strike zone (that is, one that would otherwise be called a ball) without swinging. Even if only the batter’s uniform or protective gear gets hit, it will still be a hit-by-pitch.
However, if the pitch is inside the strike zone or the batter completes their swing, it will be ruled a strike instead of a hit-by-pitch. Also, a batter must make an effort to avoid errant balls, so an umpire may fail to award a hit-by-pitch call if they determine that the batter leaned into the pitch with the intention of getting hit.
When a hit-by-pitch call is made, the batter is automatically awarded first base. Therefore, if a batter is hit by a pitch on a 3-2 count, it must be a hit-by-pitch call and not a walk, as the hit-by-pitch is awarded automatically, preventing the batter from earning their fourth ball.
Effect on Scoring
Both a walk and a hit-by-pitch result in the batter advancing to first base, but the two calls are notated and scored differently. Most of the complex statistics used to score the performance of both hitters and pitchers give walks and hit-by-pitches equal weight. For example, Hits (H), Runs Batted In (RBI), On-Base Percentage (OBP), On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS), Wins Above Replacement (WAR), and Earned Run Average (ERA) score walks and hit-by-pitches in an identical manner.
A notable exception is Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched (WHIP), which penalizes a pitcher for allowing walks and hits while ignoring batters who advance to first base as a result of a hit-by-pitch. Simple statistics are kept for Walks (W) and Hit-by-Pitches (HBP), showing a pitcher’s tendency to advance batters through either method. A high HBP often correlates to a lack of control in pitchers.
FAQ
Does a hit-by-pitch count as a walk?
In baseball, a hit-by-pitch does not count as a walk. However, the result of both a hit-by-pitch and a walk is the batter automatically advancing to first base. Additionally, most complex baseball statistics score walks and hits-by-pitches equally.
Why is a hit-by-pitch not a walk?
A hit-by-pitch is not a walk because it is awarded automatically as the result of hitting the batter with a pitch. A walk, or base on balls, is only awarded when a pitcher throws four balls in an at bat. As a hit-by-pitch is automatically determined and advances the batter to first base, a pitcher will not be able to throw a fourth ball if they hit the batter outside the strike zone.
Do walks and hits-by-pitches count as hits?
Neither walks nor hits-by-pitches count as hits. While a hit results in a batter being able to advance the bases, the key aspect of a hit is that the batter makes contact with the ball via their bat. A batter who is walked or hit by a pitch earns first base, but because they did not actually hit the ball into fair territory in either case, these instances are not recorded as hits.