Leverage and pitching changes
Base-out pressure
How the combination of runners and outs changes the value, risk, and urgency of each decision.
Why it matters
A tie game with nobody on and two outs is strategically different from the same score with runners on the corners and nobody out.
What to watch
- Decisions changing after an out or advancement
- Contact, strikeout, bunt, or steal value shifting with the state
- Pitching changes triggered by the base-out situation rather than the inning number