Called Strike Rate

Where chase rate asks whether a hitter swings at pitches outside the zone, called strike rate asks the opposite question: of the hittable pitches actually in the strike zone, how often does the hitter take one for a strike rather than putting a swing on it? A high called strike rate can point to a hitter being too passive, too late to recognize a hittable pitch, or too locked into a specific location or pitch type to react to a strike they weren't anticipating.

Called strike rate has to be read alongside chase rate to get an accurate picture of a hitter's decision-making, because the two metrics can offset each other in ways that look fine in aggregate but reveal a real problem underneath — a hitter who takes too many hittable strikes and also chases too many pitches out of the zone has a pitch-recognition problem generally, not two separate unrelated issues.

Called strike rate rises naturally in early counts, where taking a first-pitch strike carries little cost, and should fall as the count becomes more urgent. A called strike rate that stays elevated even in two-strike counts is a much bigger red flag than one that is high only early in counts, since it suggests the hitter isn't recognizing hittable pitches even under maximum pressure to protect the zone.