In baseball, throwing a strike is one of the simplest actions a pitcher can take—but it’s also one of the most effective. The numbers tell the story: 92.7% of at-bats that start with a first pitch strike end in an out. In other words, fewer than 8% of those at-bats result in a hit. The data goes even further: 69% of all strikeouts begin with a first pitch strike, while 70% of walks start with a first pitch ball.
Despite this, Major League pitchers throw first pitch strikes only 57% of the time. They’re capable of much more. For instance, when the count is 3-0, the strike percentage of the next pitch jumps to 80%. If a team’s pitching staff increased its first pitch strike percentage from 57% to 80%, it would prevent around 100 runs over the course of a season. That's the equivalent of 10 more wins!
Think about that: a 13% increase in first pitch strikes could mean the difference between securing home-field advantage in the playoffs or missing them altogether. Sometimes, small improvements in the simplest actions can create the biggest impact.
But if the data is so compelling, why don’t pitchers always throw first pitch strikes? The answer lies in what I call "external interference." Ego, fear, overthinking, a lack of discipline—all these factors cloud a pitcher’s focus. The key isn’t that they lack skill; it’s that they let distractions pull them away from the simplicity we know to be effective.
Simplicity Wins
The best organizations—whether in sports, business, or life—understand that simplicity wins. Anyone can make things complicated, but the best leaders and teams turn complexity into clarity.
In Game 4 of the 1996 World Series, New York Yankees third baseman Wade Boggs gave us a powerful example of doing simple better. The Yankees were tied with the Atlanta Braves in the top of the 10th inning, with the Braves leading the series two games to one. With two outs and two men on base, Atlanta decided to intentionally walk Bernie Williams to load the bases, setting up what they hoped would be an easier final out against Wade Boggs. But sometimes, in an effort to be clever, we outsmart ourselves.
What happened next is a lesson in simplicity: Atlanta's pitcher, Steve Avery, threw four straight balls, walking Boggs and bringing in the winning run without Boggs even swinging the bat. The Yankees went on to win Games 5 and 6, ultimately securing the World Series title. From that moment forward, the Yankees never trailed again.
You can analyze the Braves’ decision from every angle, dig into the analytics, or debate the strategy. But the lesson here is straightforward: the Braves tried to get too fancy, and it backfired. Instead of sticking to the fundamentals—making a good pitch—they complicated the situation, creating unnecessary pressure and distractions for their pitcher.
As the saying goes, "Distractions are the enemy of greatness." — Our brains aren’t wired to handle too many variables at once, especially under pressure. When the Braves loaded the bases, they shifted from a simple situation—two on, two out—to a complex one with no room for error. Suddenly, the pitcher wasn’t just focused on getting the batter out; he was also worrying about the fear of throwing four balls and walking in a run. It was too much. And in that pressure cooker of a moment, the Braves fell victim to what I call the "Distractor Factor."
Your Strike Zone in Life
The same principles apply off the field. We all have our own “strike zone”—the area where our focus, discipline, and habits lead to progress. Outside of that strike zone is everything that doesn’t matter: other people’s opinions, overthinking, ego, and all the noise that distracts us from our goals. Just like in baseball, if all you throw is balls— you’ll stay in the bottom of the first, and walk in 40 runs, but you’ll never progress past that inning. If don’t throw strikes in your life, meaning you let distractions take over—you don’t move forward. You don’t progress.
The underrated key to success, then, is simple, and you’ll hear it echoed on the baseball field often: "Just throw a good pitch!"
Focus on what matters, block out the distractions, and do your job. Then, do the next job. Success is built sequentially. The little things add up to the big things. It’s about showing up every day and consistently hitting the strike zone.
Here’s a formula I love to tell our players:
Performance = Potential - Interference
The best leaders, athletes, and teams know how to reduce interference. They don’t complicate things; they simplify them. They focus on the task at hand and eliminate everything that doesn’t contribute to progress.
The 1996 World Series wasn’t just a game—it was a lesson in the power of simplicity. The best teams and organizations understand this: they simplify the complicated. The unsuccessful? They complicate the simple.
So, in your life, ask yourself: What’s in your strike zone? What will help you grow and achieve your potential? Focus on that. Everything else is just noise. Remember, the strike zone is your potential. Everything outside of it is interference.
When in doubt, keep it simple. Throw strikes. Do your job well. And then, do the next job well. That’s how championships are won—one simple, focused pitch at a time.