Pop time


Pop time, also known as POP, is a baseball statistic that measures the time it takes for a catcher to make a throw from home plate to second base during a stolen base attempt. The measure combines catcher's footwork, exchange time, and arm strength.
The effectiveness of measuring pop time has been discussed. The primary criticism of the statistic is that it values speed over accuracy, as it does not account for whether the throw reached its destination. MLB.com's Mike Petriello said, "pop time does matter in preventing stolen bases, though it's also unsurprisingly a pretty noisy relationship".
The MLB average pop time is 2.01 seconds. A pop time of less than 2.0 seconds affords the pitcher 1.3 seconds to throw the ball to the catcher. Salvador Perez's 1.74 pop time during a 2017 throw was considered "stretch the boundaries of the position".
Austin Hedges led MLB in pop time in the 2017 season, with a 1.86 second average. In 2018, J. T. Realmuto led the league with a 1.90-second time.
Pop time leaders.
YearPlayerTeamPop Time
2015Christian BethancourtAtlanta Braves1.89
2016Gary SanchezNew York Yankees1.90
2017Austin HedgesSan Diego Padres1.90
2018J.T. RealmutoMiami Marlins1.90
2019J.T. RealmutoPhiladelphia Phillies1.88
2020J.T. RealmutoPhiladelphia Phillies1.81
2021J.T. RealmutoPhiladelphia Phillies1.84
2022J.T. RealmutoPhiladelphia Phillies1.89
2023J.T. RealmutoPhiladelphia Phillies1.83
2024J.T. RealmutoPhiladelphia Phillies1.85