Friday, July 28, 2017

Warning track power aided by juiced Titleist baseballs: Didi Gregorius is an example.

Didi Gregorius has become something of a power hitting shortstop:

Didi Gregorius with Arizona August 9, 2013 By Not That Bob James via Wikimedia Commons

Year AB HR AB/HR 
2015 525 58.33 
2016 562 20 28.10 
2017 305 16 19.06 

That's extraordinary improvement in Home Runs (HR) per At Bats (AB). Gregorius is hitting HR much more frequently during the period for which there is substantial documentation that in mid 2015 the baseballs became more juiced, i.e., the balls have observably more bounce and so go farther when hit in the air.

Titleist baseballs for exceptional exit velocity and 1,000 foot Home Runs. Friday, June 23, 2017

ESPN Home Run Tracker!

http://www.hittrackeronline.com/glossary.php

"Just Enough" home run - Means the ball cleared the fence by less than 10 vertical feet, OR that it landed less than one fence height past the fence. These are the ones that barely made it over the fence.

"No Doubt" home run - Means the ball cleared the fence by at least 20 vertical feet AND landed at least 50 feet past the fence. These are the really deep blasts.


"Plenty" home run - Everything else, except for the 2 above Homerun types

Lucky Homer - A home run that would not have cleared the fence if it has been struck on a 70-degree, calm day.
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Hitter detail for Gregorius, Didi

Average True Distance: 371.4 feet

DidiJEPLND
16872
50.0% 43.8% 12.5% 

http://www.hittrackeronline.com/threetypesofhrs.php

The league averages for 2006 were 27% JE, 55% PL and 18% ND. Hitters who amassed a significantly larger than average percentage of JE homers may have benefited from good fortune, and thus may be ripe for a regression towards the league average this season. Hitters who tallied significantly fewer JE homers than the league average may have suffered from bad luck, and thus might be expected to do better in 2007.
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No, I don't have a current break down of HR in the Hit Tracker categories.

Maybe Didi Gregorius is lucky so far in 2017. I think the baseballs are juiced and I thought that even before I read recent analysis. It's pretty obvious if you watch some games. Too many batters hitting too many home runs and too far.

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