About this episode
The Approach Angle
Nate Schwartz (@_nateschwartz) and Kyle Bland (@blandalytics) discuss the importance of WHIP and how it can be analyzed with Str-ICR to find underappreciated pitchers.
They talk about the basis of WHIP: first, why it's an important stat, and how it can be forgotten when analyzing a pitcher. Is it still important in today's analysis? Then, the discussion pivots to the most volatile part of WHIP, batted ball results. Ideal Contact Rate (ICR) groups all contact that's bad for a pitcher, and is an easier way to understand the quality of contact a pitcher is giving up. The two discuss the significance of finding the right batted balls to measure, and how ICR can be combined with Strike Rate as a proxy for estimating WHIP. This concept comes from an article Kyle wrote two years ago (https://pitcherlist.com/introducing-str-icr/). Finally, they mention players who stand out between their 2025 Str-ICR and 2026 projected WHIP.
Players mentioned: Mick Abel, Jose Soriano, Cade Horton, Spencer Strider, George Kirby
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