The MLB's bat-tracking data shows that Shohei Ohtani's swing generates the most bat speed for the Dodgers, while Mookie Betts' swing squares up the most and Freddie Freeman's swing is the shortest.
You're the manager perched on the top step of the dugout. Two outs in the ninth inning, score tied, your runner at third base. Next up is your hitter whose swing generates the fastest bat speed in all of Major League Baseball. Does he hit or do you send up a pinch-hitter whose swing is slower than anyone else in baseball? Seems like a no-brainer. And it is. Go with the slowest because his name is Luis Arráez, whose swing meanders an average of 62.4 mph through the strike zone.
'A blast, then, is a more valuable and rarer kind of swing, taking only the most valuable combinations of hard swings and contact efficiency,' Baseball Savant says. Mookie Betts squares up 39% of his swings, third behind Arráez and Soto . So while Betts' bat speed is below average at 69.3 mph, the Dodgers star has elite barrel control and timing. He also has exceptional pitch recognition.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani headline Ben Verlander’s Team of the MonthThe first full month of the MLB season is in the books, which means it's time for Ben Verlander to give out his star-studded Team of the Month for April 2024.
Read more »
Stealing bases just another elite skill for Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Mookie BettsOhtani leads the team with nine stolen bases, but Betts is right behind with eight, running more aggressively than he has in years.
Read more »
Ohtani breaks Matsui's record for MLB HRs by Japanese-born playerDodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani has broken Hideki Matsui's record for the most homers hit by a Japanese-born player in Major League Baseball.
Read more »
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani passes Hideki Matsui for most MLB homers by a Japanese-born playerLos Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani has broken Hideki Matsui’s record for the most homers hit by a Japanese-born player in Major League Baseball. Ohtani crushed a two-run homer deep into the right field bleachers off Adrian Houser of the New York Mets in the third inning at Dodger Stadium.
Read more »
Mookie Betts at his best, Mike Trout is back and more early MLB trendsBuster OIney shares the most intriguing trends of the early season -- and weighs in on whether they'll last.
Read more »
MLB's top 10 DH seasons of all time: Will Shohei Ohtani log No. 1?Shohei Ohtani is off to the best start of his career at the plate. But where would a full season of his current pace rank among the top DH campaigns of all time?
Read more »