Counterpunching against pitchers who execute fastballs up in the strike zone requires discipline — and this season, the Pirates have been among the best at it.
When defensive shifts became more prevalent during the past decade, batters began changing their swing paths to add loft and hit the ball in the air. Some pitchers, especially those with high spin rates on their four-seam fastballs, responded by throwing those fastballs at, or just above, the top of the strike zone, hoping for a player with a lofted swing to pop up or whiff.
This season, the Pirates rank first among National League teams in average exit velocity on balls in the upper third of the strike zone.