A couple things that bear thinking about though. First, if you look at the fact that this is the average over dozens of seasons, as you acknowledge, that difference between .7 and .78 would almost have to be statistically significant given the large sample size. Second, if you also think about bunting as trying to come about in statistically advantageous situations, that still feeds the average. Every team is trying to do it in situations where they feel they can do better than the outcome matrix would suggest. The results still come out that way roughly because (with few exceptions) it doesn't matter what your motivation is. You will still adhere to the expected outcomes The problem is that those statistics represent an average over dozens of years and don't tell us too much on their own. These are the averaantage they think they do. ge runs during those situations... on average, with average hitters on average teams in average situations. We don't even know the standard devations. Are 0.78 and0.70 actually even different staistically speaking? Furthermore, bunting happens in a situational context when you know that in your particular case the odds are different than average. If I have a hypotehtical situation with Buxton on first with Matt Tolbert at bat... I'm going to bunt every time knowing that there is a chance Buxton ends up on third with one out, and at best Tolboert will avoid grounding into a double play.