▁A verage ▁against ▁B alls ▁in ▁Play ▁( H ard ball ), ▁on ▁ground ▁balls ▁than ▁those ▁with ▁low ▁ground ▁ball ▁rates . ▁ ▁Nature ▁of ▁pitch es ▁Gr ound ▁ball ▁pitch ers ▁rely ▁on ▁pitch es ▁that ▁are ▁likely ▁to ▁indu ce ▁weak ▁contact ▁from ▁the ▁batter , ▁thus ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁ground ▁ball . ▁P itch es ▁that ▁are ▁low ▁in ▁the ▁strike ▁zone ▁with ▁high ▁negative ▁horizontal ▁or ▁vertical ▁movement ▁and ▁high ▁velocity , ▁such ▁as ▁split ters , ▁sink ers , ▁curve ball s , ▁and ▁two - se am ▁fast ball s , ▁result ▁in ▁the ▁highest ▁percentage ▁of ▁ground ▁balls . ▁According ▁to ▁data ▁from ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁major ▁league ▁season , ▁split ters ▁and ▁sink er ▁balls ▁result ▁in ▁the ▁highest ▁percent ages ▁of ▁ground ▁balls ▁compared ▁to ▁other ▁pitch es , ▁with ▁ 5 0 . 3 % ▁and ▁ 4 9 . 8 %, ▁respectively . ▁ ▁S ink er ▁ball ▁ ▁The ▁sink er ▁ball ▁has ▁an ▁ability ▁to ▁“ d ive ” ▁at ▁the ▁plate , ▁often ▁resulting ▁in ▁ground ▁balls . ▁Several ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch ers ▁such ▁as ▁Tim ▁Hudson , ▁Greg ▁Mad du x , ▁D erek ▁L owe , ▁Ch ien - M ing ▁Wang , ▁Br andon ▁Web b , ▁and ▁J ake ▁West bro ok ▁rely ▁heavily ▁on ▁their ▁sink er ▁pitch es ▁and ▁may ▁often ▁be ▁considered ▁sink er ball ers . ▁Self - proc laimed ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch er ▁Zach ▁Day ▁has