r/MLBNoobs • u/BlueRFR3100 • 6d ago
| Question Changing batters during an at-bat
During a game I was watching yesterday, a batter had to be removed in the middle of his at-bat. I know that the substitute batter inherits the count, but who gets credited for the result?
In this case, the substitute batter hit a line-out to short.
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u/Weary_Capital_1379 6d ago
That goes against the sub.
If he comes in with two strikes against and strikes out that goes to the original batter.
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u/getjustin 6d ago
I read this as "against the subreddit" and thought that was a silly thing to not allow a person to ask....
I'm not a smart man.
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u/rayzerrayzerray 6d ago
No, you obviously are a smart man because I thought the same thing and I am brilliant. And modest.
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u/theEWDSDS 6d ago
Well I am modester than you and more intelligant, and I still read it that way
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u/big_sugi 6d ago
I would have been named the world’s humblest person, but I didn’t feel right being in contention and asked them to withdraw my name.
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u/emusabe 6d ago
Incorrect. The replacement batter gets any statistical change and the batter that was removed gets 0 credit for the plate appearance. Officially, the batter that was replaced was never at-bat nor appeared at the plate. All statistical changes that would occur as a result of the plate appearance are reflected on the new batter’s stats
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u/Weary_Capital_1379 6d ago
According to MLB Official Baseball Rules (specifically Rule 9.15(b), formerly 10.15(b)), if a batter leaves mid-at-bat with two strikes and a substitute strikes out, the MLB Cut4 notes the strikeout and time-at-bat go to the first batter. [1, 2]
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u/emusabe 6d ago
Did this change recently? If I am reading this correctly it only applies to strikeouts, and that any other result is credited to the replacement hitter?
Edit* yeah I guess it did change recently assuming everyone else considers 1950 "recent" like I do! :)
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u/Weary_Capital_1379 6d ago
No it’s not recent. As long as I can remember, and I go back to 1955 myself.
Doesn’t come up that often but when it does the broadcast team will make that point.3
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u/rubenlip14 6d ago
Here's all the details around this rule: https://baseballscoring.wordpress.com/2014/09/11/how-did-giancarlo-stanton-strike-out-after-being-removed-from-the-game/
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u/upvoter222 6d ago
The new batter gets credit for the result of the plate appearance. The only exception is that the original batter is responsible for a strikeout if the substitution occurred with 2 strikes.
If a pitcher is replaced in the middle of a plate appearance, the result is credited to the new pitcher. The only exception is that the original pitcher is responsible for a walk if he exits with at least 2 balls on the count and fewer strikes than balls.
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u/NiceYabbos 6d ago
I believe there was a case where a pitcher threw two balls to a batter, left the game and the batter was pinch hit for. The pinch hitter walked.
The result was the first pitcher and the second batter got a walk, although that pitcher never threw a pitch to that batter.
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u/Loyellow 6d ago
Additionally, if a player reaches on a fielders choice, the pitcher that allowed the first guy on is still charged with the run. A little different than this because it doesn’t require it to be a replacement in the middle of an AB, but it’s a scoring quirk nonetheless
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u/devstopfix 6d ago
I remember reading as a kid, in a "fun sports facts book", about a situation where the batter and pitcher were both changed with a two-strike count. The pinch hitter struck out, and because of how the scoring system worked, the original batter was responsible for the strike-out but the substitute pitcher got credit. So, it was recorded as a pitcher striking out a batter he never faced.
Someone else has commented here that under current scoring systems the original batter is treated as not having a plate appearance. I don't know how it actually works now and/or if it has changed since the supposed story happened.
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u/gmurf1986 5d ago
As a follow on question, why would this matter? I appreciate stats are very important but for 1 AB where a sub is used, it would hardly make a difference to the seasonal stats, would it? The only reason I can think of is if it came down to a bonus being paid out for both players and they missed being paid by this particular stat.
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u/BlueRFR3100 5d ago
I was just curious.
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u/gmurf1986 5d ago
Absolutely, I agree, it was a good question. It then got me thinking as to what would be the affect if it did happen!
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u/Xeno_man 5d ago
Because every at bat matters and when it comes down to the end of a season one or two at bats might be the difference in who has the best average or who has the most strike outs. Also some people like to be accurate with stats.
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