OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Jake Diekman #35 of the Oakland Athletics pitches during the game against the Chicago White Sox at RingCentral Coliseum on September 30, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the White Sox 5-3. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
Several Oakland A’s pitchers are focusing on a different way of getting hitters out – instead of looking at pitching mistakes, target where the batter struggles.
The heat map is a common graphic when watching a baseball game. We see which zones the batter performs well in, and then watch as a pitcher puts their offering right in one of those spots.