Called Strike Rate

Where chase rate asks whether a hitter swings at pitches outside the zone, called strike rate asks the opposite question. This means 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. This is. This is because the two metrics can offset each other in ways that look fine in aggregate but reveal a real problem underneath. This means 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.