By Gene Coleman, Ed. D., CSCS, RSSC*E, FACSM
For hitters, the game of baseball is about getting from HP to 1B as fast as you can. When getting out of the box, you need to run as fast as you can for the first 45 feet. If you are slow over the first 45 feet, it is nearly impossible to make up time at the end of the run. Baseball is a game of inches, so if you can take 1/10th of a sec off the first 45 feet, it can make a huge difference at the end. Think about how many bang-bang plays you have been involved in. How often did you start slow and try to accelerate when the infielder bobbled the ball? How often were you safe? If you consistently get out of the box quickly and run as fast as you can for the first 45 feet, you can significantly improve your on-base percentage.
In the past, to get spits on MLB players from home to 45-feet and 45-feet to 90-feet in game situations, coaches and scouts had to use a stopwatch. Today, coaches and scouts have access to Statcast Savant (https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/runningsplits) and can obtain accurate splits from home to 1B at 5-foot increments. The following information was obtained by analyzing data collected on 534 MLB players during the 2024 season.
Facts.
- Approximately 85% of the time required to run from HP to 1B occurs over the first 45-feet; the remaining 15% occurs over the last 45-feet.
- Average RHB gets to first base in 4.30 ± .16 sec; LHBs in 4.20 ± .15 sec when running all-out.
- Average RHB runs the first 45 feet in 2.48 ± .07 sec and the last 45 feet in 1.82 ± .03 sec.
- Average LHB runs the first half in 2.43 ± .07 sec and the second half in 1.77 ± .03 sec.
- Fastest runners (3.9-4.0 sec) run the first half in 2.39 ± .14 sec and the second half in 1.61 ± .03 sec.
- Fast runners get to 1B in 4.00 – 4.10 sec; slow runners in 4.40 – 4.50 sec on bang-bang plays.
- Average run to 1B on non-bang-bang plays is at 85% of max speed.
Why are the first 45 feet so important?
- Assume that a fast runner (4.00 sec) hits a ground ball and doesn’t run hard out of the box.
- If he runs the first half at 85% of max speed, he will reach the 45-foot mark in 2.75 sec (1.15 x 2.39 sec).
- If the infielder drops the ball and the runner accelerates over the last 45 feet?
- His best time over the last 45 feet is 1.61 seconds.
- He can’t run the second half in less than 1.61 seconds, no matter how hard he tries.
- If you add 1.61 sec to his slow start (2.75 sec), he will get to first in 4.36 sec.
- If the infielder doesn’t throw the ball away, he will be out
- Most bang-bang plays for fast runners take 4.00 – 4.10 sec
- The player ran for 4.36 sec.
Takeaway.
- If you break hard out of the box, and the infielder misplays the ball, you can continue to run hard and have a chance of being safe.
- If the infielder makes a good play, you can slow down over the last 45 feet, if needed.
- If you are slow out of the box, and kick it in over the last 45 feet, you have almost no chance of being safe.
Two Options.
- You can be fast out of the box, sprint through the bag, and improve your chances of being safe on a bobbled ball, or…
- You can be slow out of the box, accelerate over the last 45 feet, and be out.
Conclusions.
- Either way, you are going to run hard for 45 feet.
- Why not run hard over the first 45 feet and improve your odds?
- You can be on base with a chance to score or in the dugout kicking yourself for not running hard out of the box and giving up an out.
__Gene Coleman, Ed. D., RSCC-E, FACSM, was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Houston Astros (1978-2012) and strength and conditioning consultant for the Texas Rangers (2013-2020). He is Professor Emeritus in the Exercise and Health Sciences Program at the University of Houston – Clear Lake and Website Education Manager, https://pbsccs.org/