Anyone who has been following Elite Diamond Performance knows how much we love data and metrics. We make most of our coaching decisions based on what data tells us. While we truly believe that data is incredibly important, sometimes certain data points can get misunderstood or have too high or too low of importance put on them. Today, I want to discuss perhaps the most talked about metric Max Exit Velocity.
What is Max Exit Velocity
Max Exit velocity is the hardest ball that a player can hit. It is the metric that usually shows up on a player's PBR, Perfect game or recruiting profile.
Why Max Exit Velocity is Important
When I talk about Max Exit Velocity, I compare it to pitching velocity because most people understand velocity when it comes to pitching more than hitting. Let's say that a high school pitcher wants to pitch at the Division 1 level. In order to do that, they need to at a bare minimum in 2025 through 90 mph. There is a lot that goes into pitching, but as good as a pitcher may be with his command and movement, if they don't hit that minimum threshold, it is very difficult for them, to play at the D1 level.
Hitting is the same. There is so much that goes into being a good hitter, but one piece of the puzzle is how hard you can hit a ball. Just like pitching, a hitter must be able to hit a minimum threshold to play at certain levels. For example, Steven Kwan, who is known to be a contact singles hitter in the Major Leaguers, still has the ability to hit a baseball over 105 mph.
Why Max Exit Velocity is Not Important
In today's world of showcases and social media, many hitters will "flex" on their max exit velocity. Essentially many young hitters feel that there is a direct correlation between how hard they can hit a baseball and their ability as a hitter. Just as I stated earlier, max exit velocity is a piece of the puzzle when it comes to hitting, not the whole thing. There is so much that goes into being a good hitter, that once a hitter clears the minimum threshold for the level they play at, a higher max exit velocity doesn't necessarily mean they will be a better hitter. For example, Giancarlo Stanton's max exit velocity is 122 mph. The hardest ball Mookie Betts has ever hit in a game is 114 mph. Mookie Betts will never hit a baseball as hard as Stanton but has been a far more productive hitter throughout his career.
Don't Compare, Compete with Yourself
The world is a much nosier place than when I weas playing. Every player that comes in faces a constant barrage of players who hit the ball harder, run faster and throw harder. Showcases rank players based solely on metrics, and it can become very easy for players to try and compare themselves to other hitters.
There are many factors that go into hitting the ball hard. Many of these factors (creating the best mechanical swing, getting stronger, etc) are in a hitter's control. Unfortunately, there are also factors such as genetics that allow some hitters to be bigger which correlates to higher exit velocities. For this reason, we tell hitters to try and avoid comparing themselves to other hitters. Instead, compete with yourself and your own numbers. Work hard to improve your own max exit velocity.
Comments