Exit Velocity - is it important?

[Second Base]

1 minute ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Sure, but if the ball is hit to the exact same spot at 110 mph, it will get thru the IF way more often than at 30 mph and that's a fact Jack.

But not a single player on God's green earth hits the ball to the same spot every time. It doesn't happen.

Exit velocity is as important as pitch velocity. It's a sexy, easy to understand number. But it only tells a very small part of a larger story. It isn't important as much as it is fun.

Watching someone throw 99 is more fun than watching someone throw 89. But it still could never be nearly as important as pitch placement. That's why Greg Maddux was one of the greatest, and countless others as well.

And that's why a spray chart is more important than exit velocity. Regardless of how hard you hit the ball, if you can hit it where defenders aren't, then you'll succeed.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

Just now, Scotty@AW said:

But not a single player on God's green earth hits the ball to the same spot every time. It doesn't happen.

Exit velocity is as important as pitch velocity. It's a sexy, easy to understand number. But it only tells a very small part of a larger story. It isn't important as much as it is fun.

Watching someone throw 99 is more fun than watching someone throw 89. But it still could never be nearly as important as pitch placement. That's why Greg Maddux was one of the greatest, and countless others as well.

And that's why a spray chart is more important than exit velocity. Regardless of how hard you hit the ball, if you can hit it where defenders aren't, then you'll succeed.

I quit this is just getting too stupid.

[Second Base]

1 minute ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

I quit this is just getting too stupid.

Only cuz I'm right.....wait...crap!

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

The point is way over you're head, exit velocity doesn't eliminate a spray chart, but the harder the ball is hit it has a better chance to get thru period. A ball hit at 30 mph to a spot where the defender isn't gives the defender more time to move to that spot than at 110 mph. Geez

Have you ever heard of a ball hit right at a defender called too hot to handle?

[CubsFan]

I think exit "Velo" in relation to Ohtani is important because it indicates that he is a true hitter/position player and not a pitcher who hits good.

[Jeff Fletcher]

Exit velocity really needs to be paired with contact percentage. There are some guys who have a high exit velocity because they swing so hard, but they also miss a lot, which isn’t really great hitting. 

The best “how well is he hitting the ball regardless of his batting average” stat is wOBA. It basically combines exit velocity and launch angle and looks at what those balls should be, and factors that in along with strikeouts and walks. 

As for the exit velocity/spray chart debate, you guys are having two entirely different conversations. Apples and oranges. One is process and one is result. 

[Lou]

29 minutes ago, hangin n wangin said:

Who can actually control exactly where they hit the ball??

Rod Carew and Tony Gwynn 

[Lou]

1 hour ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

As for the exit velocity/spray chart debate, you guys are having two entirely different conversations. Apples and oranges. One is process and one is result. 

Ha, Fletch just called you guys dumbasses. 

[Docwaukee]

Agree that exit velo is contextual, but it's definitely important.  Not only for hitters, but for pitchers and defenses.  

As Jeff mentioned, you have to pair it with contact rate and launch angle among other things.  

Hitters, in general, aren't going to be able to control where they hit the ball all that well.  So the best they can do it to try to hit the ball as hard as they can and improve their chance of getting it past the defense.  

But can that skill be developed?  

[Docwaukee]

1 hour ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Exit velocity really needs to be paired with contact percentage. There are some guys who have a high exit velocity because they swing so hard, but they also miss a lot, which isn’t really great hitting. 

The best “how well is he hitting the ball regardless of his batting average” stat is wOBA. It basically combines exit velocity and launch angle and looks at what those balls should be, and factors that in along with strikeouts and walks. 

As for the exit velocity/spray chart debate, you guys are having two entirely different conversations. Apples and oranges. One is process and one is result. 

or expected wOBA

[Jeff Fletcher]

10 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

or expected wOBA

Yeah. That’s what I meant. xwOBA

[Dick B Back]

1 hour ago, hangin n wangin said:

Yea....Who can actually control exactly where they hit the ball?? Baseball isn’t darts or golf. You could somewhat control hitting it to the opposite field, but players don’t just aim for exact spots on the field and hit them. The goal is to make solid contact on the ball because when you hit the ball hard, good things tend to happen.

I think back in my day it was called going with the pitch.

[Blarg]

[Pablo]

Assume there are 40 feet between infielders. Further, assume an infielder can react laterally 10 feet on a 50 mph ball, and only 5 feet on a 100 mph ball (because it travels through the infield much quicker). Therefore, on a ball hit 50 mph, there is a 20 ft wide area the infielders can't reach; but on a ball hit 100 mph there is a 30 ft wide area. That gives the ball a significantly better chance to get through the infield when hit hard as opposed to not. Exit velocity is very important, although as Jeff said, if you are sacrificing contact for exit velocity, it can quickly turn into a negative.

 

[zenmaster]

I never heard much about exit velocity until recently and now everyone is discussing it. Is it a hip new thing like WAR became a while back?

[eaterfan]

15 minutes ago, zenmaster said:

I never heard much about exit velocity until recently and now everyone is discussing it. Is it a hip new thing like WAR became a while back?

Stat cast made the data public 2 or 3 years ago. So it's new.

[Docwaukee]

39 minutes ago, zenmaster said:

I never heard much about exit velocity until recently and now everyone is discussing it. Is it a hip new thing like WAR became a while back?

statcast was installed in all 30 stadium prior to the 2015 season.  Pitch fx has been available since about 2006.  

[Chuck]

Shohei Ohtani has put 14 balls in play this season, with nine coming with 98+ MPH exit velocity (64.3%)

Shohei Ohtani has thrown 39 fastballs this season, with 22 coming with 98+ MPH velocity (56.4%)#Angels

— Taylor Blake Ward (@TaylorBlakeWard) April 7, 2018

[AngelsLakersFan]

Every time I read @Scotty@AW's posts in this thread I hear, "it's not the size of the boat, but the motion of the ocean..."

[floplag]

Exit velocity is a fancy statistical way of saying he hits the ball hard.  
Logic tells us that a hard hit ball has more chance of getting thru the infield, gapping the outfielders, or traveling farther than one hit softer.
Does it matter, of course, pending what kind of hitter the player is.  


Sidenote, someone mentioned the shift, can someone explain to me logically why any batter that gets the 4 men on the right side (Calhoun) doesn't take the free base hit every time and fucking bunt the damned ball.  Enough with the eog, learn to adapt how you hit or take the freebee, they will stop the shift.  

[Blarg]

It is a head scratcher and worse is the teams that whine like babies when a hitter does that. Like this is some stupid war from the 1800's where troops are to stand in line and exchange volleys. Screw that, go gorilla tactics and win some damn at bats.

[zenmaster]

This shift and then complaining when they bunt is the dumbest thing ever. It is saying hey I’m going to use a strategy to my advantage but don’t you dare try to counteract it because that’s bush league bro. I’d bunt every damn time. Screw those idiots. 

[Blarg]

Rod Carew destroyed teams if they shifted two feet one direction or the other, any gap was his playground. He gave up power for bat control and you just don't see guys with that ability these days. Ichiro is pretty much toast.

I'm not really enjoying a league of all or nothing high launch angle players that leave so many runners stranded while we wait for the tape measure shot. I think Ohtani could be the guy that can combine power and bat control, we will see.