The right mentality and hitting approach for each at bat create the difference between a hit and an out. As you walk up to the plate, you need to know a number of things to determine how to handle the at bat. How many runners are on base? How many outs are there? What pitches did you see in the previous at bat? And once the at bat starts, how many strikes do you have? How has the pitcher been pitching you all game? Answering those questions helps develop a baseball hitting approach you can use throughout the game.
The most effective hitting approach is one that is flexible, simple, and situationally dependent. When you first learn to hit, it can seem like all you need to focus on is making contact with the ball. As you develop as a player, it’s important to learn the right hitting approach for the each situation throughout the game. This means understanding the difference in approach between one and two strike counts. It also means learning a pitcher’s tendencies and how to exploit weaknesses in their throwing.
In this article, we cover tip and strategy to develop a strong baseball hitting approach that will keep you engaged and focused for every at bat, regardless of the game situation.
Important Reminder For Every At Bat
Before we dive into more detailed description of plate strategy, it’s important to remember that watching the ball out of the pitcher’s hand and reacting is key to every strategy. The mental aspect of this happens before and after the pitch—NOT while the pitch is being thrown. If you over think, you’ll get distracted. Simply see the ball and hit the ball.
Study the Pitcher: tendencies, strengths and weaknesses
If you don’t have any prior knowledge of the pitcher before coming into the game, it’s critical to pay attention throughout the game to pick up tendencies and patterns. This means watching the pitcher’s every move from the dugout while your teammates take their turn at the plate. It’s imperative that you stay dialed in and watch the pitcher for every at bat.
Things to keep in mind when watching the pitcher
Is the pitcher throwing a first pitch strike nearly every at bat? Which pitch is the go-to on a two-strike count? Does the pitcher throw middle-away from the batter or are they trying to throw inside?
For most pitchers competing outside the college or professional leagues, there’s a good chance you will see similar throwing tendencies from the pitcher. College pitchers and beyond start mixing up their approach for each batter.
Make a few mental notes throughout the game. For example, if the pitcher is drilling the first pitch fastball down the middle, your hitting strategy might be swinging at the first pitch. Maybe the pitcher always throws a curveball with two strikes, which means you should be ready to hit an off-speed pitch.
While you’re waiting to bat, you’re simply taking mental notes. Lock them away for your at-bat.
Visualize While in The On-Deck Circle
Once you’ve developed your hitting plan based on the pitcher’s tendencies, it’s time to start visualizing while you’re on the on-deck circle. In fact, this can even happen when you’re in the hole or still in the dugout. You can’t really over visualize.
What you want to do here is see yourself at the plate against this pitcher. Picture the pitch coming at you and you reacting appropriately. See any outside pitch and hit it the other way. Picture an inside pitch and pull it down the line. See an off-speed pitch and wait back and crush the ball the other way. Develop each scenario in your head where you’re crushing the ball on various pitches.
Equally important is to visualize yourself taking the pitch. If it’s off the plate, don’t swing! Visualize what that looks like and develop the patience to take a pitch instead of swinging at every pitch.
Create this visualization and really feel every sense while you’re doing this. What does it feel like to crush the ball? Imagine the sound of the bat connecting with the ball? What does it look like as you hit the ball and it takes off? If you can, think about what the air smells like as you make contact. You’re standing at the plate with the dirt in the air, the smell of the catcher’s leather glove…. Really set the scene and pay attention to each detail.
Bonus: Use these visualization techniques while you’re laying in bed going to sleep at night.
Step Up to the Plate
As you step up to the plate, the most important thing for you the feel in the moment is confidence. You prepared for this and studied the pitcher. You visualized yourself getting a hit and now you’re ready to make contact with the ball.
Walk with confidence to show the pitcher you are ready to crush the ball. Feel the confidence as you walk up to the plate and set your feet in the batter’s box.
Pitchers recognize when someone doesn’t look confident stepping up to the plate. That pitcher is watching your every move, just like you are watching them. So project confidence, even if you don’t feel it!
Now, you’re ready for the first pitch.
Adjust Your Hitting Approach Depending on the Count
Your at bat is when you bring all your planning together. How is the pitcher pitching? What are the tendencies and patterns? What did you visualized?
It’s also a good time to mention the fact that you should develop your own hitting approach regardless of what the pitcher is throwing. Perhaps you are a #3 hitter and are expected to hit for a bit of power and drive in runs. But perhaps you are speedy player and can steal a lot of bases – so your approach might be to simply try to get on base any way possible.
Really figure out who you are as a player, because it matters. For those who are speedy and can run the base paths with ease – it’s good to develop a patient hitting approach where you take a lot of pitches and force the pitcher to throw you strikes. If you are a #3, #4, or #5 hitter, it might be best for you to develop the approach of hitting early in the count when you are more likely to see fastballs.
Either way, figure out what you excel in and develop your hitting strategy around that.
Your job becomes marrying your hitting strategy to what the pitcher’s tendencies are. If you are a power hitter and the pitcher is throwing a lot of first pitch strikes, it would be a good idea for you to sit “dead-red” anticipating a fastball and swing at the first pitch. If you’re a speedy runner batting lead off and you see the pitcher throwing a lot of junk and off speed pitches, take more pitches and make the pitcher throw strikes.
Whichever your strategy is, we’ll take a general synopsis of what each count should look like and what most batter’s should be thinking about in-between pitches. Again, remember that you need to develop the ability to shut your mind down while the pitch is being pitched. Don’t think. Just see the ball and hit.
- 0-0 Count
- As stated above, what kind of hitter are you and what has the pitcher been doing throughout the game? If you’re one of the first batters of the game, it’s usually a good idea to take some pitches so you can see how the ball is moving out of the pitcher’s hands. However, as you get further into the game, or even if you’re lower in the lineup and have been able to pickup some early tendencies, you might see that the pitcher is throwing a lot of first pitch strikes.
- Some coaches might say that you often want to take the 0-0 count. For us, we love this pitch because it’s often the best pitch you’re going to see all at-bat. And for those of you that are in the middle of the lineup, you should take advantage of this. Swing away! And swing hard – don’t swing with a defensive swing like you may need to when you have two strikes on you. Swing for an extra base hit.
- If you draw a lot of walks and are fast, it’s usually best to take this pitch.
- The bottom line on 0-0 is that the pitch has to be exactly where you want it. You get 3 strikes, so don’t waste one swinging at crap. This should be right in the zone you want to hit. If you’re looking inside, it should be inside. If you’re looking middle-away, it should be away. You might be looking for a pitch right down the middle, but it’s actually on the outside corner – Don’t swing! Yes it might still be a strike, but it’s not where you want it so don’t swing at it. You’ve got two more strikes to hit what you want.
- 0-1 Count
- The probability that you get an off speed pitch on a 0-1 count increases significantly. Anytime you are down in the count, the probability of an off speed pitch is always higher.
- For you base stealers out there, keep this in mind because stealing on a pitch where the pitcher is ahead is usually the best time to go because it’ll be an off speed pitch. That means it’s slower and could be a ball, so you should have more time to take the base.
- When you’re 0-1, you still want to be selective at the plate. Don’t swing at crap. But do know that if the ball is a strike and it’s hittable, you should be seriously thinking about swinging. Getting down 0-2 on taking the first two pitches is a good way to be in the pitcher’s hands. They can do whatever they want at that point.
- So your approach here should be to be a little less selective than a 0-0 count and to swing at a strike. Remember that you’re not in defensive mode yet so you still have a strike to give.
- 0-2 Count
- This is definitely the count you want to avoid being in as a batter. It’s the highest probability out for pitchers and it’s what they strive to get to. You are mainly at their mercy. It’s certainly not impossible to get yourself out of those hole though. Especially when you have a good hitting strategy.
- We recommend developing a defensive hitting mode for 0-2 counts. This means to “shorten up” and try to make contact with the ball. Instead of trying to hit for power, you’re now trying to simply get a base hit. So slow down your swing speed a little and just put ball to bat.
- With that being said, this is where we need to start thinking about the pitcher’s tendencies. Do they have a good curveball? A good changeup? Or are they mainly just throwing fastballs?
- In the scenario that the pitcher has an array of pitches, you’ll want to think about the following:
- The pitcher has three balls to give. For pitchers that throw a lot of junk, they often like to waste a pitch here. They might throw a curveball in the dirt or way off the plate to see if you’ll swing at it. More times than not, the pitcher will throw a ball here to see if you’ll chase.
- For fastball pitchers, they will also likely try to waste a pitch. Typically, this comes in the form of a high fastball out of the zone. It will look really good, but you’ve got to lay off. For fastball pitchers that throw heat, it’s especially important for you to not swing at the high fastball.
- One of the best hitting strategies we recommend is to develop a two strike hitting approach where you are only hitting for base hits and are looking for off speed pitches to hit. This will work nearly every time unless the pitcher has a scorching fastball. What you do is look for the curveball, changeup, slider, or other off speed pitches to hit. Look to wait back and hit these pitches to the opposite field. And if the pitcher does throw a fastball, just foul it off. You’ll be behind on it most likely, but that’s fine. You get an unlimited amount of foul balls so just keep fouling off those fastballs until you get the off speed pitch you’re looking for.
- 1-0 Count
- You’re ahead in the count and that means to get even more selective than you were on your 0-0 count. The pitcher has to throw a strike to get back to even, to they are going to try and throw a strike here. Pitchers don’t want to be down 2-0, so a 1-0 count is certainly a hitter’s count and you’re in the driver’s seat.
- Be looking for your pitch. This is similar to the 0-0 count so go read that above. Be selective and only swing at the exact pitch you’re looking for in the exact zone you want it.
- 2-0 Count
- This is the best hitter’s count to be in. On average, this is the highest rate of probability for hitters to get a hit. So it’s important for you to be extremely selective here. This is the only count in the entire at-bat that you should be sitting “dead red” and ready for a fastball right down the middle. Yes, you can make a case for the 0-0 and 0-1 counts, but this is the extreme version of that. When you get to 2-0, you should only be hitting a fastball right in the zone you’re looking.
- The pitcher has to throw a strike here otherwise they’ll go down 3-0, and they do not want that to happen. Some pitchers at advanced levels will know that they can groove a curveball here, so if you are facing a pitcher like that that is notorious for 2-0 curveballs, switch your approach to hitting that. And if they do groove a fastball, just let it go because it wasn’t the pitch you were looking for.
- The main thing here is that you are in control. Don’t swing at crap and only be hitting the exact pitch you want.
- 2-1 Count
- You’re still in a hitter’s count and the pitcher still has the pressure on them. This is an advantageous hitter’s count because the pitcher is not wanting to risk going to a 3-1 count. It’s highly likely that you are going to get a strike.
- With that being said, since you have 1 strike on you, you need to be a little less selective than when you have 0 strikes. However, you certainly still want it to be a hittable strike and something you can drive. Don’t swing at the garbage 2-1 curveball that’s low and away. There is a decent chance that gets called a ball and you move to a 3-1 count, so just let it go (unless that’s the pitch you’re looking for). Be selective here.
- If the pitcher is really good and you manage to get yourself in a hitter’s count like this, you definitely need to treat this count as if you have two strikes on you. If the pitcher has been pitching lights out, it’s highly likely they are going to throw a strike here and you need to be ready to drive it. If you take a strike and go to 2-2 against a really good pitcher, they then will have the advantage. So it’s best to try and drive the ball on the 2-1 count instead of letting yourself get 2 strikes on you.
- 3-0 Count
- For all the is holy, please do not swing at 3-0. Unless you’re in MLB or are at a super advanced level, you should always be taking a 3-0 pitch. Make the pitcher sweat and make them throw you a strike. Chances are, you’re going to get a walk. And in the grand scheme of baseball, a walk is just as good as a single (with no runners on base)
- 3-1 Count
- This is like a 2-0 count where you want to be sitting dead red. The pitcher has to throw a strike here in order to not walk you. So they have a lot of pressure on them to make the pitch. We recommend having nearly the same approach here as a 2-0 pitch, with just a tad less selective mentality. Yes, you want to only swing at “your” pitch, but what you risk here not swinging is going to a 3-2 count, which is a two strike count. When you’re 2-0, the only risk there is to get 1 strike on you, which is much more advantageous than a 3-2 count.
- So only swing at your pitch, but be a little less picky.
- 1-1 Count
- This is similar to the 0-0 count, with a few differences. Think about your at-bat like a airport’s runway. There is only so much runway before the plane has to take off. It’s finite and limited. The plane can certainly still take off at any point during that runway, but as you get closer to the end, things get a little dicey. For a 1-1 count, your approach should still be to swing at “your” pitch, but with a few caveats.
- If you know the pitcher is good and has good command of their pitches, a 1-1 count might necessitate swinging at a strike that you maybe don’t particularly want. Why? Because you don’t want to get two strikes on you with a good pitcher like that. Against excellent pitchers, treat your 1-1 count like a 1-2 count.
- If the pitcher doesn’t have a strong fastball, it is likely a good idea to switch your approach over to looking for an off speed pitch at a 1-1 count. The pitcher will likely try to get you to chase something or to trick you into thinking you’re going to get a fastball. While you don’t want to usually swing at off speed pitches early in the count, you need to be ready for it if that’s what the pitcher specializes in.
- This is similar to the 0-0 count, with a few differences. Think about your at-bat like a airport’s runway. There is only so much runway before the plane has to take off. It’s finite and limited. The plane can certainly still take off at any point during that runway, but as you get closer to the end, things get a little dicey. For a 1-1 count, your approach should still be to swing at “your” pitch, but with a few caveats.
- 1-2 Count
- A 1-2 count is very similar to an 0-2 count, with one small caveat: The pitcher is less likely to burn a pitch.
- While an 0-2 count often brings a crappy pitch that’s unhittable, a 1-2 count will usually bring a pitch that is much closer to the plate and might even be a strike.
- Much like the 0-2 count, it’s imperative to develop a defensive mindset. Be thinking off speed and simply foul off the fastballs. The pitcher is likely to throw an off speed pitch, or possibly even a fastball just slightly off the plate. For these pitches that are close, SWING. If it’s off the plate, just try to make contact and foul it off. If it’s in the strike zone, try to just make solid contact and see where it goes.
- 2-2 Count
- The 2-2 count gives the pitcher a slight advantage. They’ve got two strikes on you, but they also don’t want to throw a ball and risk a full count. As with any two strike count, you want to be in a defensive mindset. Really, this count isn’t a lot different from a 1-2 count. The approach should be relatively the same. Foul off the fastball and be ready to hit the off speed pitch.
- 3-2 Count
- This is the ultimate stalemate. And we like to think of it as more of a hitter’s count than a pitcher’s count. The pitcher has to throw a strike otherwise they will walk you. But of course, you have the pressure of potentially getting out too. In general, be believe the pitcher has more to lose so they often will try to throw a strike here.
- You can’t be too selective, and against good pitchers, you need to still be ready for off speed. Many good pitchers are notorious for pulling out their best off speed pitch to trick hitters that think they’ll be getting a fastball.
- The best approach in our opinions if you’re facing a better than average pitcher is to still plan to hit with a defensive approach and hit the off speed. You can foul off the fastball. And with pitchers that are average and below, plan to hit the fastball and foul off the off speed.
Making Adjustments to Your Hitting Approach After Each At-Bat
As you go throughout a game and have multiple at-bats, be sure to learn and grow after each one. What went well and what didn’t? What adjustments need to be made for the next at-bat? Or, if you had a really poor at bat, maybe you just simply need to forget it ever happened and get ready for your next at-bat.
Maybe you struck out and looked silly on the pitcher’s changeup. Well, it’s a good chance you’re going to see that again. Maybe you crushed the pitcher’s fastball – well, they might try to throw you off speed next at bat.
The most important thing here is to develop a kind of intelligence on the field where you’re learning and making alterations each at bat. The pitcher is making adjustments to how they pitch you, so you need to make adjustments to how you hit them. It’s truly a chess match and the best players know how to play this part of the game.
Conclusion: Adapting Throughout a Baseball Game & Season
As a season goes, you’re going to go in and out of slumps and hitting streaks. Your hitting approach needs to change depending on where you’re at in the season.
For those dealing with a slump, it’s usually best to try and hit the ball to the opposite field. George Brett used to always do that if he was struggling – he’d think middle/away and would try to hit the ball to the opposite field. What this does is lock your shoulder in from opening up, and it can often make you a bit more selective at the plate.
For those on a hot streak, keep doing what you’re doing and stay dialed in. Study those pitchers and keep getting better as the season goes.
All in all, the baseball hitting approach should be developed and thought about outside of an actual pitch being thrown at you. When you’re hitting the ball, you want to simply rely on your reflexes and preparation, not your brain. Just see the ball, hit the ball, and don’t overthink it. Leave the thinking for another time.
