There is also adrenaline, levels of confidence, concentration, etc. I think "clutchness" or whatever word you want to use, can exist. "In the zone" is a phenomenon many basketball players claim is real whereby performance is elevated. It's possible, but I think the fact that some players simply aren't as nervous as others in critical situations is a much simpler explanation. Being nervous is observable if you watch closely, and there are measurable physiological differences. Being money in the clutch lacks that. As for confidence and concentration, the same thing that makes you great in the clutch should make you great in other situations. Also, the guys who get credit for being clutch aren't the same from year to year. They've studied this quite a bit. There's not really such a thing as a clutch hitter. The guys you want in those situations are just great hitters who stay cool, but there appears to be nothing special about the situation that brings out the best in them. There are other things, like being more aggressive with RISP, but that's not clutch - that's just good strategy, because fly balls and ground balls often advance runners in those situations. Again, you just have to be a good hitter to execute, which "clutch" guys are in the 2nd inning or the 9th. As for being in the zone, I don't think that has anything to do with "clutch" situations. It's just from being really good and putting in tons of practice hours, and it's no more likely in the clutch than in any other situation. It's possible there is such a thing, but at this point there's basically no statistical evidence supporting it, and limited theoretical/logical explanations at best. But there is statistical evidence, I just posted it earlier. Is it due to nerves, changing your approach at the plate, etc.? Or is it just random? I agree THAT part of it can never be proven one way or the other.