# Most pitches seen by a batter on a single at bat? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [September 26, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264 "2022-09-26T16:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/1 "2022-09-26T16:23:46Z")
Is this something record keepers track? I’ve seen batters foul off pitch after pitch. Does someone hold the record for this? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/2 "2022-09-26T16:30:55Z")
The record was set in 2018 at 21 pitches. [Article on the subject with past records.](https://www.mlb.com/news/longest-mlb-at-bats-on-record-c273475240#:~:text=Giants%20first%20baseman%20Brandon%20Belt,fly%20ball%20to%20right%20field.) These are the MLB records of course, there could have been longer sequences in other venues. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/3 "2022-09-26T16:34:59Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Is this something record keepers track? I’ve seen batters foul off pitch after pitch. Does someone hold the record for this? This kid holds the record. 😉 > **[The Kid Who Batted 1.000](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kid_Who_Batted_1.000)** > > The Kid Who Batted 1.000 is the name of two separate books, both juvenile baseball novels. The key plot device – the advent of a young batsman who is able to achieve a walk (base on balls) at every plate appearance – is identical in both novels. > "1.000" is a perfect baseball batting average – a hit for every at bat – and by convention is pronounced "a thousand" rather than "one point oh", so the title of the books is generally spoken as "The kid who batted a thousand". Achieving a base on balls ... TIL there was a second book with basically the same plot. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/4 "2022-09-26T17:06:01Z")
I wonder if hitting countless foul balls has ever been used as a strategy to wear out a pitcher. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/5 "2022-09-26T17:29:05Z")
I don’t know about it being a deliberate strategy - it’s hard enough to hit a ball at all, so actually trying to hit a foul would be very hard. But if a batter happens to hit a lot of fouls, running up the pitch count, it’s seen as a positive for the batting team. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/6 "2022-09-26T18:35:42Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I wonder if hitting countless foul balls has ever been used as a strategy to wear out a pitcher. Yes, there have been players in the past who have done this. Luke Appling of the Chicago White Sox was well known in the majors for his ability to foul off pitches to extend at bats. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/7 "2022-09-26T18:47:40Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I wonder if hitting countless foul balls has ever been used as a strategy to wear out a pitcher. Driving up starting pitchers pitch count by any means is a standard tactic. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/8 "2022-09-26T19:04:01Z")
As of 2019, foul balls were up 12% since 1998. Foul ball outs have decreased, though, primarily due to the newer (and renovated) stadiums having smaller foul territories. Endless foul balls are a waste of everyone’s time. Every three fouls should equal a strike, and three fouls with two strikes should be an out, IMHO\> ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/9 "2022-09-26T19:10:13Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I wonder if hitting countless foul balls has ever been used as a strategy to wear out a pitcher. Absolutely. The more pitches a pitcher throws in an inning, the sooner they hit their max (usually around 100) and are taken out of the game. Excellent way to get past a tough starter and in to a weaker bullpen. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/10 "2022-09-26T19:14:24Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Endless foul balls are a waste of everyone’s time. I totally disagree. I love watching a batter with a good eye dueling with a good pitcher. Fouling off good pitches and eventually picking up a walk. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/11 "2022-09-26T19:15:22Z")
I know it would never happen, but I would like to see foul balls after strike-2 treated the same as any other pitch. If you foul, you strike out. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/12 "2022-09-26T19:21:42Z")
That would radically change the game of baseball. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/13 "2022-09-26T19:30:20Z")
If a batter has 2 strikes and then bunts foul that is considered a 3rd strike and the batter is out. By some explanations this rule was made specifically to keep batters from increasing the pitch count because it is too easy to bunt foul. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/14 "2022-09-26T20:33:24Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > That would radically change the game of baseball. Have you been paying attention lately? ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/15 "2022-09-26T20:40:18Z")
So you think having a foul ball after the 2nd strike count as strike 3 would improve the game? I’m not sure how reducing scoring by some unknown, but probably significant amount would improve the game. 20 strike out games would sure go up a lot though. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/16 "2022-09-26T21:58:51Z")
For the worse. About 25 percent of plate appearances end in a strikeout now, it would be even worse if the rule was changed. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-pitches-seen-by-a-batter-on-a-single-at-bat/972264/17 "2022-09-26T22:15:14Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Endless foul balls are a waste of everyone’s time. Every three fouls should equal a strike, and three fouls with two strikes should be an out, IMHO\> > [@Velocity](#): > > I know it would never happen, but I would like to see foul balls after strike-2 treated the same as any other pitch. If you foul, you strike out. I would not mind changing the rule to _only_ 3 fouls for a strike, _in lieu of_ the first 2 fouls being strikes. An instant strike seems too harsh and no penalty seems too weak. It might actually extend the game, but would seem more fair all around.