We’ve long been obsessed with pitch speed, but it’s only lately that batted-ball velocity has begun to seep into the collective consciousness of baseball fans. I mean, we’ve always marveled at the speed of various frozen ropes, but not to the extent that we concerned ourselves with the actual speed of the hits.
But now you’re seeing exit velocities listed on MLB Advanced Media’s Statcast and stat-heads like Daren Wilman are compiling the data on websites like Baseball Savant and more. If you’re questioning the value of such measurements, consider that a harder-hit ball is more likely to yield a positive result for the batter.