pop time

Pop time, also known as POP, is a baseball statistic that measures the time it takes for a catcher to make a throw from home plate to second base during a stolen base attempt. The measure combines catcher's footwork (the time to get into throwing position), exchange time (the transfer from glove to throwing hand to release), and arm strength (velocity of throw).{{cite web |title=Pop Time (POP) |url=https://www.mlb.com/glossary/statcast/pop-time#:~:text=Definition,the%20center%20of%20the%20base. |website=mlb.com |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=March 27, 2021}}

The effectiveness of measuring pop time has been discussed. The primary criticism of the statistic is that it values speed over accuracy, as it does not account for whether the throw reached its destination.{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Sam |title='Pop' science: Your guide to learning a new MLB stat |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/23500839/pop-science-your-guide-learning-new-mlb-stat |access-date=March 27, 2021 |work=ESPN.com |date=May 15, 2018}} MLB.com's Mike Petriello said, "pop time does matter in preventing stolen bases, though it's also unsurprisingly a pretty noisy relationship".{{cite news |last1=Petriello |first1=Mike |title=Star catchers shine in new Statcast metrics |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/statcast-adds-pop-time-exchange-arm-strength-c268064274 |access-date=March 27, 2021 |work=mlb.com |publisher=Major League Baseball |date=March 8, 2018}}

The MLB average pop time is 2.01 seconds.{{cite web |title=Statcast Catcher Poptime Leaderboard |url=https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/poptime |website=Baseball Savant |access-date=March 27, 2021}} A pop time of less than 2.0 seconds affords the pitcher 1.3 seconds to throw the ball to the catcher.{{cite news |last1=Goold |first1=Derek |title=How fast did Molina throw that ball to second? |url=https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/birdland/how-fast-did-molina-throw-that-ball-to-second/article_dc42994c-fea5-11e1-b8c1-0019bb30f31a.html |access-date=March 27, 2021 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=September 14, 2012}} Salvador Perez's 1.74 pop time during a 2017 throw was considered "stretch[ing] the boundaries of the position".{{cite news |last1=Dodd |first1=Rustin |title=Here's why the Royals think Salvador Perez can become an even better catcher |url=https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article101154967.html |access-date=March 27, 2021 |work=The Kansas City Star |date=September 10, 2016}}

Austin Hedges led MLB in pop time in the 2017 season, with a 1.86 second average. In 2018, J. T. Realmuto led the league with a 1.90-second time.

Pop time leaders. (All stats are from 2015-2024.){{Cite web |title=Statcast Catcher Pop Time Leaderboard |url=https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/poptime |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=baseballsavant.com |language=en-US}}

class="wikitable"

|Year

!Player

!Team

!Pop Time

2015

!Christian Bethancourt

!Atlanta Braves

!1.89

2016

|Gary Sanchez

|New York Yankees