The cleanout hitter in baseball is a player with the power to hit doubles, triples, and home runs with runners on base. They bat fourth and are chosen for their offensive strengths. Pitchers may intentionally walk or work extra hard to force hits. The clean hitter benefits from baseball math and can deliver a demoralizing home run in the top of the next inning.
In baseball, batting orders are determined before the game and are considered sacrosanct by the umpires. Thus, managers evaluate each player’s offensive strengths and weaknesses when deciding on a final lineup. A player with a tendency to hit doubles, triples, and home runs with runners on base often bats to fourth and is informally called a cleanout hitter. This hitter may not have the highest overall batting average, but he has the power to hit a long ball, effectively “cleaning” the bases as other runners score.
Defensively, the pitching team only wants to face three batters in an inning. The appearance of the fourth man means that at least one of the top three batters could be in scoring position. Managers usually put their fastest base runners at the top of the order, so the cleanout hitter doesn’t have to be particularly fast, just capable of hitting the ball well.
Many of baseball’s most famous hitters, including Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Barry Bonds, have all filled the role of clean-up hitter. This makes sense on offense, since a home run king facing a bases-loaded pitcher can hit a grand slam and score four runs on a good swing. However, pitchers understand the potential problems created by a consistent, clean hitter, so they may decide to intentionally walk or work extra hard to force hits. Tackling the fifth batter may not be as potentially dangerous as throwing good pitches to the fourth.
A clean hitter also benefits from baseball math. The appearance of a fourth batter in an inning means that the defense has allowed at least one other runner to reach a base, and the batter may not feel pressured for a two-out situation. While a home run or long ball hit might be helpful, a solid single or double would also advance the baserunner into scoring position.
If the defense can get out the first three batters and end the inning, they will still face the clean batter in the top of the next inning. While he may not have the speed of a lead hitter, he is still capable of delivering a demoralizing home run to top off a new inning. Managers are also prone to place their second-best hitter fifth in the order, which makes it difficult for the pitcher to intentionally walk a clean hitter.
An effective hitter is generally more concerned with his batting average than his overall batting average, so baseball fans should look for the pitcher to throw pitches to the corners of the strike zone and the outfield to widen for maximum long coverage. pop-ups.
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