GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
What does catcher framing measure beyond the number of called strikes?
A called-strike count records outcomes, but it does not show where the pitches crossed the plate or how likely each one was to be called a strike. Statcast framing evaluates receiving using pitch-location context. Its Shadow Strike% focuses on non-swing pitches near the edge of the zone, and Framing Runs puts extra called strikes on a run scale; neither means the catcher controls every call.
For Bettors and cappers learning to read baseball records · Updated
The same strike count can come from different pitches
A raw called-strike total does not separate pitches clearly in the zone from borderline pitches. Location matters when asking whether a receiving result was more favorable than expected, so a count alone cannot describe framing value.
Statcast's Shadow Strike% looks at called strikes on pitches the batter did not swing at around the edges of the zone. The framing glossary describes a 2025 model update that accounts for called-strike probability based on how far a pitch is inside or outside the zone.
Framing Runs converts extra strikes to runs
Statcast Framing Runs expresses the value of extra called strikes on a run scale. MLB's glossary assigns 0.125 runs per extra strike in this calculation, which is a model-based credit rather than a claim that the catcher personally made every umpire call.
When comparing catchers, keep the raw strike count, pitch locations and the framing measure's definition distinct. Differences in the pitches received can change what the model evaluates.
A fictional pitch-location comparison
Hypothetical pitch-location ledger: Catcher A has 6 called strikes overall, including 1 called strike among 3 non-swing pitches near the zone's edge; Catcher B also has 6 called strikes overall, including 4 called strikes among 8 non-swing edge pitches. Their raw totals match, but the edge-pitch subset and modeled called-strike probabilities differ. The example does not calculate a framing score; it shows why the total alone is incomplete.
Related questions
Does every called strike count as catcher framing credit?
No. Framing evaluates receiving in pitch-location context; a raw called-strike total does not identify extra strikes relative to the model.
What is Shadow Strike%?
MLB describes it as the called-strike rate on non-swing pitches around the edges of the strike zone.