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What was the best individual single game hitting performance up to this point?

by JoshuaR on Sep 1, 2010 2:38 PM EDT

I am interested to see what the population here has for the best individual (single game) hitting performance of the season so far. I am interested on seeing which games you dig up as well as what you value in a hitting performance.

Do you value one hit that wins the game or do you value multi hit games? I have some examples here for the lazy but am interested to see what else you can find.

- Carlos Ruiz, August 12, 2010.

3-5, 3 RBIs, 1 run

2 singles, 1 double. Walk off double against the Dodgers

- Raul Ibanez, August 5, 2010

3-4, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1 walk

Double, single, single

RBI in the top of the 9th to bring score to 4-3, game tying run. Phils win in 10 vs. Marlins

- Jayson Werth, April 24, 2010

2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI

2 solo HR's, including go-ahead run in the top of the 9th. Phils win 3-2, Werth responsible for two of the runs

- Ryan Howard, June 18, 2010

4-4, 3 RBIs, 3 runs

1 double, 1 triple, 2 HR

Phillies beat Twins 9-5

There are many other games I did not touch and would be interested to see what you can dig up. I did not even mention Utley, Victorino, Polanco, etc.

So what do you think was the best individual single-game hitting performance so far?

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Comments

Rollins double shy of the cycle

3-5 3b 3rbi 2sb 2r

by phillyeaglesfan on Sep 1, 2010 5:33 PM EDT reply actions

Howard, obviously. (Shouldn’t you get credit for a cycle if you hit two home runs instead of a homer and a single?)

by phatj on Sep 1, 2010 9:56 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed — Howard. Not as much drama as the others but statistically the best.

For what it’s worth, these are the highest single-game OPS’s this year (bold if listed above):

1. Howard 6/18 — 4.250
2. Werth, 7/23 — 3.333 (3 for 3, 2B, HR, BB)
3. Victorino 5/10 — 2.833 (2 for 3, 2 triples, 3 walks)
4. Ruiz 8/23 — 2.750 (1 for 2, HR, 2 walks)
4. Ibanez 6/19 — 2.750 (2 for 3, 2B, HR, BB)
4. Werth 5/6 — 2.750 (3 for 4, 2 doubles, HR, 3 RBI)
4. Utley 5/20 — 2.750 (1 for 2, HR, 2 walks, 3 runs)

by schmenkman on Sep 5, 2010 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions

The other stat that is probably more appropriate and is more in line with the drama of the moment is Win Probability Added. These are the top games in WPA (again, bold if listed above):

1. Rollins 6/23 — .601 (1-5, walk-off HR), I’m surprised this is this high
2. Howard 4/10 — .583
3. Ruiz 8/12 — .539
4. Ruiz 8/5 — .506 (3-5, 2 2B’s, HR in 10th)
5. Polanco 8/1 — .473 (2-6, game winner in 11th)
6. Ruiz 5/4 — .454 (2-3, 2B, walk-off HR in 10th)
7. Werth 4/24 — .451
8. Rollins 7/25 — .441 (2-4, drives in tying run, scores winning run on WP)
9. Ruiz 5/10 — .430 (4-5, HR) — after this game, he led the NL in OBP and was 12th in OPS
10. Howard 7/27 — .395 (2-4, HR, 3 RBI)
11. Victorino 8/28 — .388 (2-4, go-ahead 3B in 7th)
12. Ibanez 8/5 — .385
13. Rollins 8/18 — .372 (mentioned by phillyeaglesfan)
14. Werth 6/23 — .369 (3-3, 2B, HR)

by schmenkman on Sep 5, 2010 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Do you know how WPA is calculated? Shouldn’t a walk off hit be a WPA of 1? Then, in Rollins example, his WPA is not 1 because of his 4 hitless AB’s (which were negative WPAs). Is this right or is that reasoning flawed?

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Sep 5, 2010 11:54 PM EDT up reply actions

That’s the idea — WPA measures how much the player’s at bat changes the probability of his team winning the game. In his first four at bats, Rollins had WPAs of -.024, -.020, -.035, and -.030 for a total of -.108. His walk-off increased the Phils’ probability of winning by .709 (from .291 to 1.000), for the total of .601.

by schmenkman on Sep 6, 2010 6:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Oh, I see. I thought a walk off would be a WPA of 1.000 but it only increases it to 1. That makes sense. Thanks.

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Sep 6, 2010 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions

For instance, the biggest possible WPA swing is the “Ultimate Slam” – grand slam in the bottom of the ninth, down three runs, with two outs. It’s worth about .90 WPA. Bo Diaz did this once for the Phillies, back in 1983. Then he got killed by a satellite dish.

http://www.thegoodphight.com

by WholeCamels on Sep 6, 2010 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions