Batting Ratings

All players have a set of five basic batting ratings: Contact, Gap Power, Home Run Power, Eye/Discipline, and Avoid K's. Each of these has a matching potential rating. (See Current vs Potential Ratings for more information on the distinction between the two.) Batting ratings can be seen on the Player Profile, the Ratings page, or in any list of players using the Batting Ratings view. They are also available on the Scouting Reports page.

OOTP uses batting ratings to determine the outcome of an at bat.

Contact

As of OOTP 25, Contact is a hybrid rating which incorporates the BABIP and Avoid K's ratings. Players with high Contact ratings are more likely to get hits and have a higher batting average. It does not include a player's power rating. Thus, players with equal contact may run different batting averages depending on their home run power.

BABIP

BABIP is a measure of a player's ability to get hits on balls in play, removing outcomes not affected by the opposing defense (namely homeruns and strikeouts). Specifically, the BABIP rating directly affects the number of singles, doubles, and triples per at bat that do not result in a strikeout. Players with a higher BABIP will tend to run better averages, but players with significant strikeout issues might have below average batting average despite their BABIP abilities.

Gap Power

Gap Power is a measure of a player's ability to hit doubles and triples. Gap Power directly affects the number of doubles and triples a player gets, per hit in play. (The ratio of doubles to triples is influenced by a different rating--either the "Triple Ratio," or the player's Speed rating if the player does not have a Triple Ratio assigned.) Gap Power has no effect on home runs, or on the likelihood that a player will make contact other than hitting doubles or triples. The actual number of extra base hits a player gets will depend on their contact ability to get hits - two players with similar Gap ratings may have widely varying extra-base hit totals.

Home Run Power

Home Run Power is a measure of a player's ability to hit home runs. Home Run Power directly affects the number of home runs a player hits per at bat. Home Run Power has no direct effect on other types of extra-base hits, or on the likelihood that a player will make contact other than hitting home runs.

Eye

Eye/Discipline is a measure of a player's ability to draw walks. Eye/Discipline directly affects the number of times a player walks per at bat. Eye/Discipline has no direct effect on the likelihood that a player will make contact, or strike out.

Avoid K's

Avoid K's is a measure of a player's ability to avoid striking out. Avoid K's directly affects the number of times a player strikes out per at bat. Avoid K's has no direct effect on the likelihood that a player will reach base on balls in play or on extra-base hits.

Lefty-Righty Splits

In addition to the basic current versus potential ratings, hitters also can perform differently depending on the handedness of the pitcher they are facing. These "split" ratings are not visible on the Player Profile, but can be found on the Ratings screens "VS LHP" (versus left-handed pitchers) and "VS RHP" (versus right-handed pitchers). Be sure to consider this information when setting your lineups!