The hit-and-run is much maligned as a small-ball tactic, but it’s a surprisingly successful strategy.
Source: Baseball Prospectus | Spinning Yarn: Hit-and-Run Success is No Accident
The hit-and-run play is not highly regarded by the analytical crowd. It is considered a one-run play and, like the sacrifice bunt attempt, it garners derision from people who hate small-ball tactics.
If you are a baseball insider, do check out this analysis – this is a real in-depth study!
The conclusion reads like this: The hit-and-run is far from the worst play in baseball. For a small-ball tactic, it has been quite successful over the past nine seasons, increasing scoring by .06 runs per attempt on average. The value of the hole in the infield defense is real, adding about 27 points to the batting average of the hitter. The double plays avoided by executing the hit-and-run offset the runners caught stealing on the play, and the extra bases gained by the runner when the ball is put in play are enough to move the play into the plus column overall.
