▁to ▁give ▁up ▁fewer ▁home ▁runs ▁than ▁fly ▁ball ▁pitch ers . ▁Gr ound ▁ball ▁pitch ers ▁tend ▁to ▁perform ▁better ▁against ▁ground ▁ball ▁hit ters ▁than ▁they ▁perform ▁against ▁fly ▁ball ▁hit ters . ▁ ▁Rel ations hip ▁with ▁defense ▁Comp ared ▁to ▁fly ▁ball ▁pitch ers , ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch ers ▁are ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁allow ▁un ear ned ▁runs . ▁David ▁G ass ko ▁notes ▁that ▁ 2 . 2 3 % ▁of ▁ground ▁balls ▁result ▁in ▁an ▁error , ▁and ▁these ▁errors ▁account ▁for ▁ 8 5 % ▁of ▁all ▁errors . ▁According ly , ▁as ▁G ass ko ▁arg ues , ▁the ▁sus cept ibility ▁of ▁ground ▁balls ▁to ▁errors ▁results ▁in ▁more ▁un ear ned ▁runs . ▁ ▁With ▁run ners ▁on ▁base , ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch ers ▁often ▁force ▁double ▁plays ▁because ▁the ▁weak ▁contact ▁bat ters ▁make ▁with ▁a ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch er ’ s ▁pitch es ▁prevents ▁the ▁ball ▁from ▁passing ▁the ▁in field ▁defense . ▁ ▁Gr ound ▁ball ▁rate ▁Gr ound ▁ball ▁rate , ▁or ▁ground ▁ball ▁percentage , ▁is ▁the ▁percentage ▁of ▁batt ed ▁balls ▁that ▁are ▁hit ▁as ▁ground ▁balls ▁against ▁a ▁pitch er . ▁A ▁typical ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch er ▁has ▁a ▁ground ▁ball ▁rate ▁over ▁ 5 0 % ▁while ▁an ▁extreme ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch er ▁maintain s ▁a ▁ground ▁ball ▁rate ▁of ▁ 5 5 % ▁or ▁higher . ▁P itch ers ▁with ▁high ▁ground ▁ball ▁rates ▁sust ain ▁lower ▁B AB IP , ▁or ▁Batt ing