Switch hitter

From BR Bullpen

A switch hitter is a batter who regularly bats both right and left handed.

Most batters hit better against opposite handed pitchers than against same handed pitchers. In other words, right handed batters tend to hit better against left handed pitchers than against right handed pitchers, and left handed batters do better against right handed than left handed pitchers. This so called platoon advantage drives much of baseball strategy, including the use of pinch hitters and LOOGYs and the decision of some batters to become switch hitters.

In theory, a switch hitter should always have the platoon advantage, since he can always bat opposite handed from the pitcher. This is true even in the extremely rare case of a switch pitcher, as the current rules prevent the pitcher from changing throwing hands during the course of a plate appearance. In practice, most switch hitters are better hitters from one side of the plate than the other, and some are so much better from one side of the plate than the other that opposing managers will still bring in specialist relievers to force them to hit from their weaker side. J.T. Snow was such a poor hitter batting right handed that he decided to abandon switch hitting and bat exclusively left handed.

Interestingly, switch hitters will not always bat with the opposite hand as the pitcher. Some switch hitters find that they fare better batting "wrong handed" against specific pitchers. For instance, although Tom Glavine throws left handed, for part of his career he had a reputation of being tougher against right handed batters than against left handed batters. Some switch hitters responded by batting left handed when facing him, against the normal platoon advantage. Some switch hitters will bat right handed against Tim Wakefield because they are worried that facing his knuckleball delivery would disrupt their normal left handed timing against other right handed pitchers.

All time MLB leaders among switch hitters: