BAbip v BAbipHR 1952 to 1964.

BAbip: Batting Average on Balls in Play: (Hits - HR)/(AB-SO-HR+SF)

It's supposed to show luck, maybe especially for pitchers relative to their teammates in the field. I'm not clear on why it's also applied to hitters. And for hitters, why are Home Runs (HR) excluded. HR by definition exclude luck (except, of course, for the absurdity of non uniform playing areas). So, lets try including HR for batters:

BAbipHR: (Hits)/(AB-SO+SF)

Sacrifice Flies are correctly included but generally have little impact because the number is so low.

https://stathead.com/tiny/LXDJv

For single seasons, from 1952 to 1964, Playing in the AL or NL, in the regular season, requiring At Bats >= 400 and Batting Average on Balls In Play >= .350, sorted by descending Batting Average on Balls In Play.

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21 records found.

This covers the peak years of Mickey Mantle, before there was a Designated Hitter (DH).

At the bottom Mantle has the oddity of:

BAbip one point lower than his BA.

I guess it's because of his 52 HR.

Mantle on top might be attributed to luck ... or speed.

So ... let's try this with HR included.

First sorted on BAbip, then on BAbipHR.

sorted on BAbip

Rk	Player	BAbip	BAbipHR	AB	Season	Age	Team	Lg	H	HR	SO	SF	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
1	Mickey Mantle	.378	.430348	474	1957	25	NYY	AL	173	34	75	3	.365	.512	.665	1.177	221	315
2	Roberto Clemente	.377	.390741	622	1964	29	PIT	NL	211	12	87	5	.339	.388	.484	.872	146	301
3	Richie Ashburn	.376	.377856	615	1958	31	PHI	NL	215	2	48	2	.350	.440	.441	.881	136	271
4	Lou Brock	.374	.391389	634	1964	25	CHC,STL	NL	200	14	127	4	.315	.358	.464	.821	123	294
5	Joe Cunningham	.371	.381643	458	1959	27	STL	NL	158	7	47	3	.345	.453	.478	.931	143	219
6	Norm Cash	.370	.426991	535	1961	27	DET	AL	193	41	85	2	.361	.487	.662	1.148	201	354
7	Elston Howard	.368	.402597	446	1961	32	NYY	AL	155	21	65	4	.348	.387	.549	.936	153	245
8	Dick Allen	.368	.404427	632	1964	22	PHI	NL	201	29	138	3	.318	.382	.557	.939	162	352
9	Ted Williams	.367	.430079	420	1957	38	BOS	AL	163	38	43	2	.388	.526	.731	1.257	233	307
10	Harvey Kuenn	.364	.375000	561	1959	28	DET	AL	198	9	37	4	.353	.402	.501	.903	141	281
11	Wally Moon	.364	.391753	463	1961	31	LAD	NL	152	17	79	4	.328	.434	.505	.940	142	234
12	Roberto Clemente	.361	.389535	572	1961	26	PIT	NL	201	23	59	3	.351	.390	.559	.949	150	320
13	Vada Pinson	.358	.376812	607	1961	22	CIN	NL	208	16	63	8	.343	.379	.504	.883	131	306
14	Richie Ashburn	.358	.361446	533	1955	28	PHI	NL	180	3	36	1	.338	.449	.448	.897	142	239
15	Mickey Mantle	.357	.390411	549	1952	20	NYY	AL	171	23	111		.311	.394	.530	.924	162	291
16	Rico Carty	.357	.393701	455	1964	24	MLN	NL	150	22	78	4	.330	.388	.554	.942	161	252
17	Ken Boyer	.355	.385686	589	1961	30	STL	NL	194	24	91	5	.329	.397	.533	.930	136	314
18	Mickey Vernon	.354	.372051	608	1953	35	WSH	AL	205	15	57		.337	.403	.518	.921	150	315
19	Dee Fondy	.352	.376278	595	1953	28	CHC	NL	184	18	106		.309	.358	.477	.835	114	284
20	Mickey Mantle	.352	.429224	533	1956	24	NYY	AL	188	52	99	4	.353	.464	.705	1.169	210	376
21	Duke Snider	.350	.402834	584	1954	27	BRO	NL	199	40	96	6	.341	.423	.647	1.071	171	378
Rk	Player	BAbip	BAbipHR	AB	Season	Age	Team	Lg	H	HR	SO	SF	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB

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sorted on BAbipHR

Including SO/AB% (SO rate).

Rk	Player	BAbip	BAbipHR	AB	SO/AB	Season	Age	Team	Lg	H	HR	SO	SF	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
1	Mickey Mantle	.378	.430348	474	15.82%	1957	25	NYY	AL	173	34	75	3	.365	.512	.665	1.177	221	315
9	Ted Williams	.367	.430079	420	10.24%	1957	38	BOS	AL	163	38	43	2	.388	.526	.731	1.257	233	307
20	Mickey Mantle	.352	.429224	533	18.57%	1956	24	NYY	AL	188	52	99	4	.353	.464	.705	1.169	210	376
6	Norm Cash	.370	.426991	535	15.89%	1961	27	DET	AL	193	41	85	2	.361	.487	.662	1.148	201	354
8	Dick Allen	.368	.404427	632	21.84%	1964	22	PHI	NL	201	29	138	3	.318	.382	.557	.939	162	352
21	Duke Snider	.350	.402834	584	16.44%	1954	27	BRO	NL	199	40	96	6	.341	.423	.647	1.071	171	378
7	Elston Howard	.368	.402597	446	14.57%	1961	32	NYY	AL	155	21	65	4	.348	.387	.549	.936	153	245
16	Rico Carty	.357	.393701	455	17.14%	1964	24	MLN	NL	150	22	78	4	.330	.388	.554	.942	161	252
11	Wally Moon	.364	.391753	463	17.06%	1961	31	LAD	NL	152	17	79	4	.328	.434	.505	.940	142	234
4	Lou Brock	.374	.391389	634	20.03%	1964	25	CHC,STL	NL	200	14	127	4	.315	.358	.464	.821	123	294
2	Roberto Clemente	.377	.390741	622	13.99%	1964	29	PIT	NL	211	12	87	5	.339	.388	.484	.872	146	301
15	Mickey Mantle	.357	.390411	549	20.22%	1952	20	NYY	AL	171	23	111		.311	.394	.530	.924	162	291
12	Roberto Clemente	.361	.389535	572	10.31%	1961	26	PIT	NL	201	23	59	3	.351	.390	.559	.949	150	320
17	Ken Boyer	.355	.385686	589	15.45%	1961	30	STL	NL	194	24	91	5	.329	.397	.533	.930	136	314
5	Joe Cunningham	.371	.381643	458	10.26%	1959	27	STL	NL	158	7	47	3	.345	.453	.478	.931	143	219
3	Richie Ashburn	.376	.377856	615	7.80%	1958	31	PHI	NL	215	2	48	2	.350	.440	.441	.881	136	271
13	Vada Pinson	.358	.376812	607	10.38%	1961	22	CIN	NL	208	16	63	8	.343	.379	.504	.883	131	306
19	Dee Fondy	.352	.376278	595	17.82%	1953	28	CHC	NL	184	18	106		.309	.358	.477	.835	114	284
10	Harvey Kuenn	.364	.375000	561	6.60%	1959	28	DET	AL	198	9	37	4	.353	.402	.501	.903	141	281
18	Mickey Vernon	.354	.372051	608	9.38%	1953	35	WSH	AL	205	15	57		.337	.403	.518	.921	150	315
14	Richie Ashburn	.358	.361446	533	6.75%	1955	28	PHI	NL	180	3	36	1	.338	.449	.448	.897	142	239
Rk	Player	BAbip	BAbipHR	AB	SO/AB	Season	Age	Team	Lg	H	HR	SO	SF	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB

In 1957 Mantle had, for him, a very low number and rate of SO, although Ted Williams had a much lower rate.

Note for Mantle's 54 HR 1961 season:

Rk

Player

BAbip

BAbipHR

AB

SO/AB

Season

Age

Team

Lg

H

HR

SO

SF

Mickey Mantle

.309

.400491

514

21.79%

1961

NYY

AL

163

54

112

5

1961 was the first year of modern expansion. The American League (AL) went from 8 to 10 teams. Batting figures for top hitters were high. Among the 21 records above, 6 were in 1961, including 4 National League (NL). In 1962 NL expanded from 8 to 10 teams also.