{"id":277423,"date":"2025-05-27T12:23:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T12:23:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/27\/ex-yankees-all-star-casts-doubt-on-jose-altuves-first-pitch-prowess\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:08:16","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:08:16","slug":"ex-yankees-all-star-casts-doubt-on-jose-altuves-first-pitch-prowess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/27\/ex-yankees-all-star-casts-doubt-on-jose-altuves-first-pitch-prowess\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Yankees All-Star casts doubt on Jose Altuve\u2019s first pitch prowess"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"4933087\" data-slug-id=\"2534835\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Houston Astros star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/jose-altuve\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Jose Altuve<\/a> holds sway over the rest of the league in one of the most eye-popping stats in baseball. Altuve\u2019s success on first pitches is second to none as he hit .370 on first pitches.<\/p>\n<p>However, according to MLB analyst and former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/team\/new-york-yankees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">New York Yankees<\/a> All-Star Mike Stanton, the stat doesn&#8217;t exactly reveal the whole picture and said it&#8217;s &#8220;misleading&#8221; because it only accounts for balls put in play on the first pitch.<\/p>\n<p>On the Wheelhouse Company Podcast, Stanton said (34:18 onwards):<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"bets-today-poll\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"preview-card-holder bets-today-poll\">\n<p><span class=\"date\"\/> \u2022 <span class=\"time\"\/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"march-madness-logo\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/march-madness-logo.png\" height=\"42\" width=\"99\" alt=\"march madness logo\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Now you see situations like Jose Altuve hitting .370 on the first pitch, right? Okay, that\u2019s a little misleading because that\u2019s only on first-pitch balls in play. If he swings and misses or fouls a pitch off, they don\u2019t count those in that batting average.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>Stanton credited former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone for having the best way to track the stat.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Leo Mazzone, when I was with the Braves, used to come up with this stat. Now, you\u2019ve got to remember\u2014this was back when you actually had to put pen to paper,&#8221; Stanton added. &#8220;You couldn\u2019t 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\u2014not just first-pitch balls in play.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"sportskeeda-embed\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/baseball\/youtube\">\n<div class=\"yt-wrapper\">                    <noscript><iframe title=\"Christian Walker&#039;s Signature Moment as a Houston Astros Player\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tlBu-3fICj0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript>                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/baseball\/youtube\" data-embed=\"tlBu-3fICj0\">\n<div class=\"play-button\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" height=\"370\" width=\"660\" data-img=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/601f4-17483466950217-1920.jpg\" data-img-low=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/601f4-17483466950217-1920.jpg\" class=\"lazy-img\" alt=\"youtube-cover\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Mike Stanton shares importance of being ahead in the count<\/h2>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Stanton said as much during the same segment.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Listen, if you don\u2019t have great stuff, being ahead in the count is even more important,&#8221; Stanton added. &#8220;Because you don\u2019t 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\u2019s seat, like when it\u2019s 2-0. Getting ahead in the count is everything.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Stanton wants viewers to know that the .370 batting average of Altuve on first pitches doesn&#8217;t truly paint the right picture.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-author-info-parent\">\n<span class=\"about-the-author\">About the author<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-info-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-pic-holder\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"author-pic\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,&lt;svg width=\" height=\"100\"\/><rect width=\"100\" height=\"100\" style=\"fill:rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\/>&#8221; data-lazy=&#8221;https:\/\/keedag.sportskeeda.com\/user-pic\/890910-1716428533-200.jpg?w=200&#8243;<br \/>\nalt=&#8221;Krutik Jain&#8221; height=&#8221;72&#8243; width=&#8221;72&#8243;&gt;\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-bio-detail-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p class=\"author-bio\" id=\"author-bio-text\">\nKrutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball&#8217;s rules and Clayton Kershaw&#8217;s pitching to have hooked him to the game.<\/p>\n<p>A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial &#8220;one player from the past you could meet&#8221; question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson&#8217;s impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.<\/p>\n<p>A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.\n<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"author-know-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/author\/krutikjain007-xoeg5\" aria-label=\"Author know more\">Know More<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Nadim El Kak<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/baseball\/news-ex-yankees-all-star-casts-doubt-jose-altuve-s-first-pitch-prowess\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Houston Astros star Jose Altuve holds sway over the rest of the league in one of the most eye-popping stats in baseball. Altuve\u2019s success<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":277424,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277423"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277423\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/277424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}