In recent videos, we’ve covered some introductory hitting stats, Exit Velocity and Launch Angle. The next topic in relation to these are “Barrels.”
A “Barrel” is the optimal combination of Exit Velocity and Launch Angle that yields the best chance of getting a hit.
The idea behind a Barrel is that a hit with a high Exit Velocity is less impactful if the ball is not launched at an ideal angle. For example, a hitter who hits the ball hard, but hits a lot of ground balls (low launch angle) may find themselves making a lot of outs. Similarly, a ball hit in the air at a low Exit Velocity may be less likely to land for a hit as well.
Measurement
Batted balls that qualify as “barreled” fall within an optimal range of Exit Velocity and Launch Angle called the ‘Barrel Zone.’ The Barrel Zone begins at an Exit Velocity of 98 miles per hour and a launch angle between 26 and 30 degrees. For each mph over 98, the launch angle for the barrel zone expands. For example, at 99 mph, the barrel zone is 25 to 31 degrees.
Barrels, and measuring a hitters’ Barrel Rate is an important metric because they help us quantify how often players make the best possible contact when they are hitting. The more hitters are ‘barreling’ balls, the more likely they are to produce to extra base hits, and ultimately create runs for their team.
Like the other Statcast metrics we have learned about, Barrels can also be used for pitchers as well to determine how often they give up hard contact at optimal launch angles.
Summary
Barrels are another tool that allow analysts to understand how hitters are performing, as well as how they should be performing. Hitters who are atop the barrel leaderboards are among the top hitters in the game at combining exit velocity with optimal contact points. You can research more on Barrels on individual player pages and leaderboards on BaseballSavant.com.
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