Editing Power hitter

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
[[File:Ted_Williams_BBall_Digest_May_1949_raw.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Iconic [[Major League Baseball]] player [[Ted Williams]], pictured here in 1949, is known as a famous "power hitter".<ref name=Williams/>]]

'''Power hitter''' is a term used in [[baseball]] for a skilled player that has a higher than average ability in terms of his [[Batting (baseball)|batting]], featuring a combination of dexterity and personal strength that likely leads to a high number of [[home runs]] as well as [[Double (baseball)|doubles]] and [[Triple (baseball)|triples]]. In baseball, a power hitter typically bats fourth or "[[Cleanup_hitter|cleanup]]" in a Major League lineup, which consists of 9 hitters in a rotating order.<ref>Rees, Loren P., Terry R. Rakes, and Jason K. Deane. "Using Analytics to Challenge Conventional Baseball Wisdom." ''Journal of Service Science (Online)'', vol. 8, no. 1, 2015, pp. 11''. ProQuest''</ref> 

In terms of detailed analysis, looking at a player's ability as a power hitter often involves using [[Baseball statistics|statistics]] such as someone's '[[slugging percentage]]' (a function that's calculated by evaluating someone's number of moments [[at bat]] in relation to the nature of their [[Hit (baseball)|hits]] and [[Strike (baseball)|strikes]]). '[[Isolated Power]]' (ISO), a measure showing the number of extra bases earned per time at bat that's calculated by subtracting someone's [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] from his slugging percentage, is another statistic used.<ref name=Gaines>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/the-20-greatest-power-hitters-of-all-time-2012-5|title=The 20 Greatest Power Hitters Of All-Time|website=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=October 21, 2015|date=May 23, 2012|first=Cork|last=Gaines}}</ref>

The concept generally is [[analogous]] to that of a [[power pitcher]], a player who relies on the velocity of his pitches (perhaps at the expense of accuracy) and a high record of [[strikeout]] associated with them (statistics such as strikeouts per nine innings pitched are common measures).

==Famous power hitters in baseball history==
{{expand section|date=October 2015}}

[[Barry Bonds]], who set [[List of Major League Baseball progressive single-season home run leaders|the record for the most home runs in a season]] in [[Major League Baseball]] history, is often cited as a power hitter. His career was later bogged down by allegations regarding [[performance enhancing drugs]]. However, he managed a total of 762 home runs while also earning a comparatively high ISO compared to his rivals, with the publication ''[[Business Insider]]'' labeling him #3 in a list of the greatest power hitters of all time.<ref name=Gaines/>

Prior to [[Barry Bonds]] breaking the single season home run record in 2001, [[Sammy Sosa]] and [[Mark McGwire]] closely competed for the record in 1998 with Sosa finishing at a respective 66 home runs and McGwire with a respective 70 home runs to secure the title.{{Citation needed |date=September 2023 |reason=‘https://britishartstudies.ac.uk/media/w1060h800/issue19/fig-17-kingdom-dahomey-africa.jpg' has nothing to do with the sentence}}

Other baseball figures so cited include the famous hitters [[Babe Ruth]], [[Hank Aaron]], [[Lou Gehrig]], and [[Ted Williams]].<ref name=Gaines/> Popular newspaper writer [[Victor O. Jones]] wrote about Williams in particular, "Ted is lucky to come along in a baseball age that worships on the shrine of power, pure, unadulterated power."<ref name=Williams>{{cite book|pages=46–63|title=Ted Williams: A Baseball Life|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|date=2003|isbn=9780803293083|first=Michael|last=Seidel}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
*[[Power pitcher]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career slugging percentage leaders]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Baseball positions}}
{{Baseball}}

[[Category:Baseball strategy]]
[[Category:Baseball terminology]]