Written by Mark Bailey
Raking is a slang term used in the game of baseball. A player who is raking means he is doing very well at hitting at that point in time. You might hear this term from announcers or players in the dugout: “Dang man, you have been raking this week!.” This means the player is playing great on the offensive side. It is always a good thing if someone tells you that you are raking.
POINTS
- Raking is a slang term used in baseball that means a player is doing well at hitting.
- The term is often used by announcers or players in the dugout to describe someone who is playing great offensively.
- It can be difficult to measure how well someone is raking, but usually, it refers to success over a short period of time, like one week.
- A player who is raking does great things for their team by increasing their chance of scoring runs and getting on base.
- Some examples of great rakers in baseball history include Manny Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera, who both hold the record for most Player of the Week awards with 16 nominations each throughout their careers.
Definition of raking in baseball
There are many slang terms used in the game of baseball. Raking is one of the main ones. It is a term that has just started being used in recent years.
Hitting a baseball is one of the most difficult things to do in baseball. A player who is good at hitting deserves to be recognized for his accomplishments.
Hitting and batting are terms used to signify the offensive side of baseball. A player in the batting lineup could be going great or struggling at the plate. However, a player who is raking is exceeding expectations.
Many young players use this term frequently. Its origins can be found at the lower levels of baseball, such as high school and college. The term has gradually found its way into Major League Baseball.
How raking is measured
You may hear that a player is raking. You know this means he is hitting well, but how do you determine this?
Usually, a player that is raking is doing so in a condensed period of time. For example, a player could have a solid first week of the season and be “raking.” Raking can be determined by a player’s batting average or even their on-base percentage. It can also be measured by their home runs or RBIs. A player who has a batting average of .500 in the span of a week is definitely raking.
Baseball is a game of ups and downs. You can have your best week this week and your worst week the following one. Raking usually happens in the short term but deserves to be recognized.
The importance of raking in baseball
Any player who succeeds at the plate does great things for their team. Good hitting only leads to good things, such as runs being scored and players getting on base. Any time a player gets on base, it’s good for the team’s offense. This creates opportunities that can be capitalized on.
A player who is raking also puts his name on the map, not only for his team but across the league. The MLB recognizes weekly and monthly success by announcing players of the week as well as players of the month. A player who is raking will surely find himself on one of these lists.
It can also lead to increased playing time if a player is raking. Indeed, a player who is raking adds a tremendous amount of value to his name.
Examples of great rakers in baseball history
Manny Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera hold the record for the most player of the week awards in their careers. A player of the week is assuredly raking since most players are chosen based on their offensive success. They both earned 16 players of the week nominations throughout their careers. This is an extremely impressive statistic since it means they had 16 weeks of fantastic hitting. The closest number to them is 12. These two guys are some of the greatest hitters of all time. It can even be argued that they were raking almost their entire career. Most guys rake for a week or two weeks. Guys like this were steadily raking throughout their time in the MLB. Manny Ramirez had one week in which he hit over .500 in batting average. This means he was getting hit more often than he was getting out. For those that play baseball, you know this is very unheard of.
Conclusion
Raking is another slang term used in the game of baseball. There are many slang terms; some are good things, while others are not. Raking is one of the best ones there is. A player who is raking is having a high amount of success on the offensive side of the game. If you are raking, you have a high level of confidence at the plate. In baseball, confidence can take you to many great places, such as player of the week or even player of the month. It is an accomplishment to be considered “raking” at any point during the season. You could even rake for one series. Any success in hitting should be recognized since it is one of the most challenging things to do in all sports. Raking is another way of saying a player gets more hits than he is getting out.