Most casual baseball fans understand the more traditional batting statistics.
Statisticians calculate a player’s batting average, his home run total, the number of RBIs he has accumulated and how many runs he has scored for his squad. One stat tends to fly under the radar in the eyes of the average baseball supporter: on-base percentage, OBP.
OBP is the measure of how successful a hitter is at simply reaching base, whether it be by getting a hit, drawing a walk or being hit by a pitch, and LSU’s squad has a solid number to show for it.
The Tigers have a .400 OBP, meaning LSU hitters reach base in roughly 40 percent of their at bats. Senior first baseman Mason Katz leads the team at .473 while seven of LSU’s starters have an OBP of .400 or higher.
Freshman shortstop Alex Bregman, whose OBP is .446, said the squad is more focused on the game than the statistic itself. He doesn’t ignore the stat’s importance, though.
“It’s a huge stat, but I don’t necessarily go up [to the plate] thinking about it,” Bregman said. “The mindset [at the plate] is putting together a quality at-bat and find a way to get on base. I know that’s the same for everyone on this team. I couldn’t tell you what anyone on this team’s on-base percentage is. I don’t think most people on this team could.”
Junior third baseman Christian Ibarra can be included in the group of players who don’t know their OBPs. Ibarra, whose percentage is .451, has moved from the No. 9 slot in the lineup to the six-hole since opening day, largely for his ability to knock clutch hits and reach base.
Ibarra’s philosophy contrasts that of Bregman when he picks up the bat.
“My mindset is ‘hit the ball hard,’” Ibarra said. “I don’t really worry about getting on base or not. You’ve got to make contact first. And if you don’t swing and hit it hard enough, that won’t happen. That being said, there’s no difference between a single and a walk. As long as I get on base.”
As important as reaching base is for the Tigers’ regulars, it’s even more crucial for the players fighting for a position in the everyday lineup. The LSU outfield is loaded with young, left-handed hitters battling for a starting job.
With the likes of freshmen Mark Laird and Andrew Stevenson, sophomore Chris Sciambra and junior Sean McMullen crowding the outfield, every at-bat counts.
“If you get a hit in your last at-bat, then you’re feeling good in the box,” Stevenson said. “Hopefully it builds, but if you don’t get on base, then you can’t let it get you down. The goal, though, is just to at least reach first base.”
“It means you’re getting on base a lot, and that’s the goal when you go up to the plate. I think it’s a huge stat, but I don’t necessarily go up there thinking about it.”
