Why Do the Mets Keep Getting Hit by Pitches?

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The New York Mets have been hit by more pitches than any other team in baseball this season. Over the past seven days, they’ve been plunked six times, including three in one game, and it was only on Wednesday that Matt Harvey suffered the first hit-by-pitch of his career.  Here we will see Why Do the Mets Keep Getting Hit by Pitches?

Why Do the Mets Keep Getting Hit by Pitches?

Why Do the Mets Keep Getting Hit by Pitches?

It’s a question New York Mets fans have been asking for years and doesn’t seem likely to go away anytime soon, but why do the Mets keep getting hit by pitches? While some of these injuries are obviously accidental, it seems there may be more to it than that, as the Mets seem to be targeted at an unusually high rate. The Mets’ pitchers haven’t done much better; Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom have both been hit twice this season, and neither has thrown even 60 innings yet.

Let’s take a look at what may be going on behind the scenes in Flushing Meadows and see if we can find any answers.

What is pitch tipping?

Pitch tipping is an illegal move in baseball where a player uses his fingers, hands, or glove to make contact with the ball before it reaches home plate. When a batter swings at a tipped pitch and misses, he’s charged with strike three. Pitchers may have an advantage in that they can see the ball all the way until it crosses home plate, while batters can only see it up until release point or when they start their swing. This makes it more likely for pitchers to achieve this illegal action without being noticed.

A pitcher will use one hand to tip or touch the ball on its way from the pitcher’s mound to home plate. The other hand may be used for balance and stability.

How does it happen?

It’s been a rough year for the Mets. In just over two months, the team has lost their starting catcher to injury, their best hitter to injury, and has endured an 11-game losing streak. All of these things can be blamed on injuries. As a result of these injuries and misfortunes, mets batters have been getting hit with pitches more frequently than in years past. This is because pitchers are throwing at hitters in retaliation for being hit themselves or in protest to one of their teammates getting hit.

The ERA (earned run average) is also higher this season than last year which is making it difficult for pitchers to get through games without giving up any runs and leaving runners on base. When they do give up runs they often give up many more and that leads to strikeouts. They know that if they strike out someone, they will not have anyone on base when they walk off the field so there is no need to pitch carefully. It may seem like the best thing would be to rest some of the players who have already had time off due to injury but then those players would need more time off again before returning and there might not be enough time left in the season.

Is pitch tipping a good thing or bad thing?

Pitch tipping is a good thing because it’s an art. If you can’t pitch tip, then you don’t have much control over your pitches and that makes it easier to get hit. If pitchers can’t pitch tip, then they’re more likely to throw straight pitches which also makes it easier to get hit. It all boils down to personal preference. Some people think pitching with the seams is safer than pitching without any seams because there are less edges for hitters to make contact with. Other people feel safer pitching without any seams because their fingers aren’t exposed as they would be if they pitched with seams. Some people say that pitching with the seams takes away velocity but others believe that their ball has better movement when pitched with seams. 

It’s been said that some hitters may not have even hit the ball if tipped so why should we care if pitchers do it? Also, what happens when batters intentionally try to foul pitches off or bat at balls in order to protect themselves from being hurt or struck out on purpose? That seems like something worth addressing too.

What Can Be Done About It?

New York City has a long and rich baseball tradition, with iconic teams like the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants. The only team in New York City is the Mets and they’ve been playing since 1962. They have had some great seasons and some not so great seasons but one thing that has remained constant is getting hit by pitches. So why do they get hit so often? There are many possible explanations but here are your best favorites: 

  • It’s hard to avoid getting hit when you’re up close to home plate trying to bat.
  • The pitchers are really really good at hitting them with fastballs!

If you are unlucky, what can be done about it

The Major League Baseball season is nearly half over and it seems like no team has been luckier than the New York Mets. After an injury plagued 2016 campaign, it’s been nothing but good news for them this season. The Mets are currently leading their division, with a record of 44-34 and a 10-game lead over their nearest competition in the Washington Nationals. They have not lost back to back games all year, which is truly remarkable for any team in baseball. With that being said, things seem to be going great for them so far this season but why do they keep getting hit by pitches?

What are some reasons that pitchers might throw at hitters intentionally?

Conclusion

The MLB’s Rule 8.02 says that if a pitch touches a batter, it’s an automatic ball. In other words, if a pitch grazes the bat or glove of a player, it’s not interference. When you watch a game and see something like this happen, you might think it was on purpose. But in reality, it was just an unfortunate accident.

 

Why Do the Mets Keep Getting Hit by Pitches?
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