Pinch hit in the middle of an at bat?

It certainly is unorthodox to pull a batter in the middle of an at bat. But, does it have merit and when would you consider doing such a thing?

I think it's perfecty reasonable to understand the difference between advantage counts and disadvantage counts. Being aware of what your team can do in each of these counts is critical to managing your players to the best of their ability. Here are some examples of changing a focus as the count changes.

1- Man on 1st, 0 outs. You have a batter come to the box and you ask him to swing away. The batter takes a feable swing at a first pitch and the count goes 0-1. Well, you now a decision to make. If this batter is not the best of bunters you may choose to pinch hit as a bun option. If the defense believes the bunt is on you always have a hit and run option.

2- A runner advances to 2B during the at bat. A batter is in the box with a man on 1st base. He may be asked to bunt the runner to 2B. But, after a wild pitch moves the runner into scoring position, you may want to reconsider the batter in the box. A better hitter may be the more prudent play here. Maybe even a lefty hitter that has a propensity to hit the ball to the right side.

3- A runner advances to 3B during the at bat. A runner at 3B brings the safety squeeze into play. Imagine this. A runner at 2B with 1 out. The runner steals 3B with a 1-1 count. Now, there is a runner at 3B with a 2-1 count. Maybe there is a player on your bench that is an excellent safety squeeze guy. Pinch hit and give it a shot. If the defense pitches out- you're still safe. However, knowing your strengths as a coach allows these options to be considered.

It is unorthodox but as counts change, situations change. I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.