A Stat Showdown is a Would You Rather question with two cards of real baseball stats. Read the cards out loud, let everyone pick, then reveal what the numbers say. It is a fun way to get a young fan backing up an opinion with facts.
Stat Showdown #1
Would you rather face a 100 mph fastball or a big curveball?
A · 100 MPH FASTBALL
- Crosses the plate roughly four-tenths of a second after release
- In 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw a pitch tracked at 105.8 mph, still the MLB record
B · CURVEBALL
- Travels much slower than a fastball, so it arrives later than your eyes expect
- Can drop more than a foot on its way to the plate because of topspin
Make your pick, then reveal what the numbers say
It's a tie
For which is easier to hit: these cards show speed and movement, not results. One is hard to catch up to, the other is hard to read. Pick one and defend it.
Stat Showdown #2
Would you rather play first base or third base?
A · FIRST BASE
- Catches the throw on most ground-ball outs
- Allowed a special mitt up to 13 inches long to scoop throws
B · THIRD BASE
- Called the hot corner because hard line drives arrive in well under a second
- Must make the long throw across the diamond, about 127 feet
Make your pick, then reveal what the numbers say
B wins
For reaction time: B. A hard line drive reaches third in well under a second, and then comes the long throw. At first base, the ball mostly comes to you.
Stat Showdown #3
Would you rather have the best pitcher in the league or the best hitter?
A · BEST PITCHER
- A starter pitches in about one game out of five
- Can take over the game they pitch
B · BEST HITTER
- Plays nearly every game, up to 162
- Gets four or five chances to help every day
Make your pick, then reveal what the numbers say
B wins
For games affected: B. The hitter is in the lineup about five times as often as the ace takes the mound.
Stat Showdown #4
Would you rather get caught with a corked bat or too much pine tar?
A · CORKED BAT
- Sammy Sosa served a seven-game suspension for one in 2003
- Physics studies found cork does not make the ball go farther
B · TOO MUCH PINE TAR
- George Brett's 1983 home run was called out for pine tar more than 18 inches up the bat
- The league reversed the call and the homer counted
Make your pick, then reveal what the numbers say
B wins
For how it turned out: B. Brett got his home run back; Sosa got a suspension. And physics says cork does not add distance anyway.
Every verdict names what it is judging, and when the cards cannot settle it, the answer is a tie. That is the point: the best debaters use their gut and the facts.
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BIG DEBATE