On Saturday, December 12th, we hosted the annual Hoosier Holiday Showcase at Roundtripper Sports Academy in Westfield, IN. Hitters at the event were analyzed using Blast, a bat sensor placed on the knob of the bat and analyzes the swing, providing multiple metrics for every swing taken. Blast captures the data by the sensor picking up the vibration of the bat at impact when the hitter makes contact with the baseball. If there's no contact, the sensor won't read the swing. 

Today, we look at the top bat speed performers from the showcase. To view the complete statistical breakdown from the Hoosier Holiday Showcase click here.

BAT SPEED

Bat speed is the velocity of the barrel at impact measured in miles per hour (mph). The ideal ranges for bat speed at each level are:

● MLB: 66-78 mph
● College: 66-75 mph
● HS Varsity: 60-70

Bat speed is one of the most important metrics because it correlates very strongly to exit velocity (EV, the speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat when the hitter makes contact, measured in mph) and on-field performance. The faster the bat is moving through the hitting zone, the more capable a player is of hitting the ball harder and producing higher EV and a higher wOBA (weighted on-base average, a statistic that measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance).

Peak Bat Speed

Average Bat Speed