Previously introduced the common data of batsmen and pitchers in baseball games, the following starts from the batsman, to introduce some high-level data, I hope you can be more impressed by these data and how it is generated.
Off-bar rate (Exit Velo)
For hitters, data such as hit rate and base rate can make their performance more obvious. But in the final analysis, their main technical embodiment in terms of blows is the swing of the bat, and the rate of leaving the bat is an important indicator of the quality of the batsman's swing.
Image source: fantrax
Simply put, the higher the off-stick rate, the stronger the shot, and if the average off-the-stick rate can exceed 90 miles, it means that the batter can hit a strong shot. Underneath this data, there are also data such as hard hit rate (%) that can further consider the quality of the batter's shot.
Miguel Sano, whose maximum off-bat rate of 117.1 miles in 2021
Launch Angle
Baseball has now evolved into a state in which big data and technology are inextricably linked, so ideally, batters can find the most suitable swing technique for their own way of exerting their power. At this time, the slight adjustment of the upward angle of the swinging stick can have a qualitative impact on the striking effect. Therefore, the swing angle and the rate of departure from the bat represent the two dimensions of the blow, which are the data for the technical aspects of the batter.
Image source: washingtonpost.com
Hit-in-field rate (BABIP)
The hit rate in the field, which is the probability of the hit of all the completed hits of the batter, excluding the three strikes, the guarantee and the home run, the rest of the hits. Simply put, it is the sum of (hits - home runs) divided by (hits - home runs - three strikes + sacrifice hits). The significance of this data is to examine the probability of the real impact of the hitter's blow, such as many blind gun batters, the home run data is very beautiful, but the entry rate is not very high; on the contrary, the kind of hitter who focuses on hitting the ball into the field will have a higher BABIP value. This data has no distinction between high and low, and more represents the difference in the form of blows.
Warriors third baseman Austin Riley with a BABIP of .367 in 2021
On the other hand, the BABIP value can also look at how lucky the hitter is over time. If a batter is clearly similar to other stats over a certain period of time, but the overall stats are suddenly particularly good/poor, you can see if his BABIP value during this period deviates from his personal career average by a lot.
Weighted Attack Index (OPS+)
The weighted attack index is a weighted calculation based on the attack index and is used to measure the average level of a player's attack index. The attack index is the sum of the upstation rate + long play rate, while the weighted attack index is divided by the player's attack index by the league average attack index, which is corrected by the field coefficient and multiplied by 100. 100 is the benchmark value of the weighted attack index, and if the weighted attack index reaches 120, it means that the hitman's ability to strike is 20% higher than the league average.
2021 OPS+ top Bryce Harper
Contribution Value (wOBA)
The computational weakness of the weighted attack index is the inability to accurately weigh the weight of the upsell rate against the long-run rate: in the game, the contribution value of the upper base is almost 1.8 times that of the long shot, while in the weighted attack index, the ratio of the two data is 1:1.
Career wOBA up to .411 Juan Soto
Based on this weakness, there is the algorithm of the contribution value of the base, which weights the contribution of the attack by all the bases, second base, third base, home and guarantees, etc., to obtain a comprehensive value. In general, a contribution value of 0.370 on the base is a very good performance.
Score Contribution Value (wRAA)
This is an advanced stat based on the contribution value on the base and is used to measure how much a batter contributes to the team. Its algorithm is (Base Contribution Value - League Average Base Contribution Value) divided by the index multiplied by the number of seats.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has the highest wRAA (60.4) of the 2021 season
The performance of this value is very polarized, and the league's best hitters can score more than 70 points, but the worst hitters will be negative.
Weighted Score Contribution Value (wRC+)
Compared with the score contribution value, the weighted score contribution value is more able to measure the player's score contribution, and its algorithm is very complex, because it is necessary to exclude the influence of the external environment on the performance of the player as much as possible, and truly consider the full range of data of the batter.
Fernando Tatis Jr., who played 155wRC+ in the 2021 season
Like the Weighted Attack Index, the weighted score contribution value is based on 100, and the higher the score, the higher the league average. Usually the league's best batters can contribute up to 160 in a single season.
Victory Contribution (WAR)
This is a comprehensive measure of a player's contribution to a team's victory, and both batters and pitchers can measure it.
WAR maintains an ultra-high level of "two knife flow" Shohei Otani
The significance of this statistic is to measure the overall value of a player rather than actually bringing a few victories to the team, and to comprehensively evaluate the value of a player from the range of blows, defenses, pitches, etc. In general, a WAR value = 0 means that the player is replaceable, while an average starter has about 2WAR, an All-Star level player is about 5WAR, and an MVP level player should have a WAR value of close to 8 or so.
Read so many values and calculations that evaluate the level of a hitter? Which do you think is the most "reliable"? What do you value most when evaluating a batter? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area!