Defining a Quality At-Bat (QAB)

Batting average is the worst metric in baseball for measuring development. A hitter can go 0-for-4 and have four quality at-bats. Another can go 2-for-4 and have given away both outs on first-pitch ground balls. Average rewards luck. QAB% rewards process.

That's why every player I work with tracks QAB%, not average. It's the metric that tells parents, coaches, and the player whether the work is showing up between the lines.

A Quality At-Bat counts when the hitter does at least one of the following:

- Hits the ball hard (line drive, deep fly, gap)
• Drives in a run with two outs
• Sees six or more pitches
• Walks
• Moves a runner with the situation
• Battles to a full count
• Executes a sacrifice (bunt or fly)
• Beats out an infield hit by hustling out of the box

What QAB% tells you:

- Is the hitter competing every at-bat or only when it feels good?
• Is the approach holding up against off-speed and two-strike counts?
• Is the player a producer in pressure situations or a passenger?

If a hitter can stack QABs at a 60–70% clip, the results catch up. Always. The numbers in the box score are a lagging indicator of the at-bats that built them.