Ex-Yankees All-Star casts doubt on Jose Altuve’s first pitch prowess

Houston Astros star Jose Altuve holds sway over the rest of the league in one of the most eye-popping stats in baseball. Altuve’s success on first pitches is second to none as he hit .370 on first pitches.

However, according to MLB analyst and former New York Yankees All-Star Mike Stanton, the stat doesn’t exactly reveal the whole picture and said it’s “misleading” because it only accounts for balls put in play on the first pitch.

On the Wheelhouse Company Podcast, Stanton said (34:18 onwards):

“Now you see situations like Jose Altuve hitting .370 on the first pitch, right? Okay, that’s a little misleading because that’s only on first-pitch balls in play. If he swings and misses or fouls a pitch off, they don’t count those in that batting average.”

Stanton credited former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone for having the best way to track the stat.

“Leo Mazzone, when I was with the Braves, used to come up with this stat. Now, you’ve got to remember—this was back when you actually had to put pen to paper,” Stanton added. “You couldn’t just get on the computer and pull up any stat you wanted. But he used to tell us what a real batting average was on first-pitch strikes—not just first-pitch balls in play.”

Mike Stanton shares importance of being ahead in the count

The duel between a pitcher and a hitter is a thing of art in baseball. The pitcher aims to retire the hitter by securing three strikes, while the slugger is often waiting for that one perfect pitch to capitalize on and punish.

Being ahead in the count refers to 0-2 or 3-2 situations, where the hitter is just a ball away from either striking out or being walked. In these moments, the pitcher is under the most pressure to execute a pitch not only within the strike zone but also in a location that minimizes potential damage.

Mike Stanton said as much during the same segment.

“Listen, if you don’t have great stuff, being ahead in the count is even more important,” Stanton added. “Because you don’t have raw velocity or sick movement or something like that. Once you get ahead in the count, now I can expand. Now the hitter is on his heels and protecting instead of being in the driver’s seat, like when it’s 2-0. Getting ahead in the count is everything.”

Stanton wants viewers to know that the .370 batting average of Altuve on first pitches doesn’t truly paint the right picture.