Walks Watch, Pt. 2

The rate of posting on this blog has been slower than usual recently, for obvious reasons, but I think one way to remember Brian is to talk a lot about one of his favorite subjects. So here’s installment number two in the semiregular series about Tiger walk rates.

Through 18 games, the Tigers have coaxed 62 walks, an average of 3.4 per game. That total puts them at No. 16 in MLB, tied with four other teams. They’ve struck out 126 times, a rate of 7 per game. Their K/BB ratio of 2.06/1 is actually pretty good. And I suspect their numbers will improve once they start getting more base hits. Right now, pitchers must know they’ll have it pretty easy facing the Tigers, who have about three guys hitting consistently right now and two hitting for power.

Even with the team-wide BA slump, the plate discipline picture is looking rosier this year than it did in 2006. Last year they drew 430 walks for a shockingly bad rate of 2.65 walks per game, and struck out 1133 times for 6.99 per game. That’s a K/BB ratio of 2.64.

So in the early going, the Tigers have added almost an entire walk per game while holding their strikeout rate steady. There are a lot of things not to like about the offense so far, but selectivity is not one of them.