MLB Batted Ball Stat Visualizations (graphs!!!!!!!)

Scatterplots
  • Barrels/PA versus Average Hitting Speed
  • Barrels/PA versus Average Hitting Speed (mpld3 version)
  • (Max BB Speed-Avg BB Speed) Versus Batting Average
  • Average FB/LD Exit Velocity versus Barrels/PA
  • Barrels/PA versus wRC+
  • Isolated Power versus Average Hit Speed
  • Isolated Power versus Average FB/LD Exit Velocity
    •  Histograms
  • Average Hit Speed Histogram (with average wRC+ per bin)
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    Some thoughts on Barrels/PA versus Average Hitting Speed:

  • Baseball Savant's/Tom Tango's Barreled Ball "Barrels" stat (full definition found here) accounts for a batted ball that falls under certain criteria, whose value is determined by a weighted combination of its exit velocity and exit angle. Commentor scotman144 in this article points out this metric undervalues line drive machines who don't hit the ball particularly hard (i.e. Adam Eaton, Dustin Pedroia). Since "barrels" is a stat derived from exit velocity, there is some positive correlation (0.67) between those who can hit the ball well and those who hit the ball hard. Overperformers of this stat, i.e. players who've put a bunch well-hit balls in play but don't have elite exit velocity include Byung-Ho Park and Tyler Austin. Underperformers include Aaron Judge and Keon Broxton, who obliterate the ball whenever they hit it but are otherwise flawed (63 and 109 wRC+, respectively). Similarly, another overperformer would be Khris Davis, obliterates the ball when he hits it but strikes out a lot + struggles making contact (92.7 MPH, 27.2 K%, 143rd in FG's Contact %)
  • With respect to free agents, Mark Trumbo, Pedro Alvarez, Chris Carter, and Ryan Howard appear in the upper right quadrant, and all are similar players with similar flaws (strikeouts, home runs, contact issues)
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    Some thoughts on (Max BB Speed - Avg BB Speed) versus Batting Average:

  • There seems to be no correlation (r-value: 0.074) with players who've "minimized" their max/average batted ball speed differential and their batting average, i.e. players closest to their exit velocity ceiling. Dustin Pedroia and Joey Votto have minimized this differential (14.9 and 19.1 MPH respectively), with a batting average of .318 and .326 respectively. Mike Trout batted .315 and has a differential of 25.4 MPH
  • Some interesting players of note: Giancarlo Stanton, Nomar Mazara, and Jonathan Schoop have a differential of 28.8, 29.3, and 33.8(!!!) MPH
  • Pitchers/catchers in the bottom left quadrant of the graph (obvious)
    •  all graphs use plotly unless specified
    © Patrick Wong 2017