Ground ball/fly ball ratio
In baseball statistics, ground ball-fly ball ratio is a measure of:
- Frequency of batted ground balls in play versus fly balls in play to denote what kind of contact a batter makes more frequently. Calculated as / ; and
- Frequency of ground balls allowed in play versus fly balls allowed in play to denote what kind of contact a pitcher surrenders more frequently to opposing batters. Calculated as /.
- Frequency of batted ground ball outs versus fly ball outs hit by the batter, calculated as /.
- Frequency of batted ground ball outs versus fly ball outs thrown by the pitcher, calculated as /.
The St. Louis Cardinals have led Major League Baseball in team ground ball/fly ball ratio since 2006. Sinker, cutter, and curveball pitchers tend to produce more ground balls, while pitchers who rely on fastballs, sliders, and split-fingered fastballs tend to produce more fly balls. Roughly 10% of fly balls are home runs. Fly ball pitchers in large parks however, tend to allow less than 7%.