Batting Average

[lancemeister2006]

Can Someone please explain the advantage of a hitter with a good BA in RBI?  It seems like they have almost none, that it only thing that makes them hit well is a good power number.  Because guys like Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs, (high average, low power) don't seem to hit any better than other hitters with their same power but a lower average, like Bob Boone for example.  Anyways, I know there is a part of this site that explains it and says that the higher the average, the better "bat control" the player has or something, but sometimes I think the players with high averages and low power got ripped off in RBI.  In real life they had great value, but in RBI their value is next to none, while bashers like Tom Brunansky, who has a terrible BA, is extremely valuable in RBI, while in RBI his bad BA was a liability.

[Nacho]

I think most guys with high averages (not all) have higher contact numbers, leading to more solid hits and less "off the end of the bat" grounders or weak popups.

[ultimate7]

BA itself effects nothing, better (lower) contact rating means there is less of  a power subtraction when the ball is hit away from the sweet spot of the bat

[BeefMaster]

The numbers for home runs and batting average don't actually do anything - the actual ratings that determine a player's skill aren't directly tied to those ratings (although players with more homers usually have better power, and players with better BA usually have better contact ratings).

Here is an explanation of the three ratings for all batters - Power, Contact, and Speed.  Quick summary of contact rating (which is pretty much what your question is asking) - it is the amount removed from a player's power if he doesn't make solid contact (which I believe is defined by the game as hitting the ball in the middle of the bat).  A low contact rating is better than a high contact rating.

[lancemeister2006]

I guess that does make sense...Gwynn and Boggs definitely hit the ball harder than Boone does.  Hitting the ball hard as a lefty though sometimes means liners and groundouts to the first baseman...my biggest pet peeve.

[lancemeister2006]

Beefmaster that actually was very helpful...I think I get it now.  Basically a high contact rating means there's a bigger sweet spot on the bat for those players.  At least that's how I see it.

[TβG]

Basically a high contact rating means there's a bigger sweet spot on the bat for those players. 

in effect, yes.  but you will never get more power out of a batter with a low contact rating.

[BeefMaster]

Beefmaster that actually was very helpful...I think I get it now.  Basically a high contact rating means there's a bigger sweet spot on the bat for those players.  At least that's how I see it.

Kinda... the "sweet spot" is the same size for all players, but guys with a good contact rating (low rating = good) aren't affected as much if they miss it.

[broiler]

this reminds me of when i was explained the birds and the bees