May 2025 Hitter Avg Bat Speed Gainers & Decliners

Identical to some other metric we monitor, like common exit velocity, pitch velocity, and so on, a hitter’s bat velocity fluctuates all year long. As thrilling as it’s to see your favourite breakout decide to lift his bat velocity in the course of the first month of the season, it could be simply as disappointing to find he was unable to maintain the leap in the course of the season’s second month. So let’s discover out which hitters have gained and misplaced probably the most dangerous velocity in Might in comparison with the interval by the top of the April.

Properly, effectively, look who’s primary! Javier Báez hasn’t hit since 2021, when his wOBA was final above .300, and it’s gotten worse each season since. However immediately this yr, he’s had a renaissance, as his wOBA has spiked as much as .330, which represents the fourth highest mark of his profession. Curiously, he posted almost similar wOBA marks throughout each durations, however the starting of the season interval was pushed by an inflated BABIP, whereas his Might noticed a rebound in Might as his BABIP fell again to Earth. Now his underlying metrics look sustainable, besides his xwOBA remains to be simply .294. He has additionally been using the bench extra steadily lately and with Parker Meadows due again quickly, his enjoying time might dry up. House owners must be thrilled they received anybody from him at this level.

Even with the Might achieve, Mookie Betts’ common bat velocity is much decrease than I ever would have guessed! Betts carried out nearly identically throughout every interval, as his energy is manner down, together with his ISO sitting at a profession low and HR/FB charge the bottom since 2015. Possibly final yr’s energy decline represented a brand new stage, versus a bottoming of which he would bounce again from.

Teoscar Hernández’s offense has collapsed in Might, together with his energy disappearing, however an inflated BABIP partially offsetting. Nonetheless, his season numbers are proper in step with expectations and he’s even placing out at a profession finest charge.

Bear in mind when Andrés Giménez opened the season scorching scorching by swatting three dwelling runs in his first 5 video games? He hasn’t homered since. After all, he’s additionally been on the IL for many of Might so he’s recorded simply 19 PAs in the course of the month, which suggests the bat velocity achieve may not even be actual. His scorching begin is your annual reminder to not overreact to the primary week of video games, as you’ll have by no means even seen it if it occurred in the course of June.

Lastly, Riley Greene is the primary identify on this record whose efficiency has truly improved as his bat velocity has elevated! Fairly loopy that it wasn’t till the fifth identify all the way down to see higher outcomes aligning with greater bat velocity. Greene has been placing out extra typically all season lengthy, however in Might, his energy exploded, with a HR/FB of 33.3%. Curiously, his wOBA is nearly similar to final yr due to the strikeout charge spike and a drop in stroll charge. His HardHit% and maxEV are the identical as effectively, however a surge in Barrel% aligns with the elevated HR/FB charge. It’s anybody’s guess whether or not he might keep that stage, so he’s not a nasty man to dangle in commerce talks.

Joey Ortiz’s bat velocity has been above the league common, however his season ISO sits at a microscopic .061, whereas his HR/FB charge is simply 3.7%. He was by no means an enormous energy man within the minors, however did persistently submit low teen HR/FB charges. With a sub-20% strikeout charge and single digit SwStk% to again it up, this must be a 15/15 man. Sadly, poor fortune has gotten the most effective of him up to now, so it’s potential he begins dropping enjoying time given his .225 wOBA.

It’s been a popping out get together for Josh Bell in Might to coincide together with his bat velocity enhance, as his wOBA was simply .231 earlier than he posted a .378 mark in Might. The whole lot improved final month again to the degrees we’re used to from him and maybe a bit higher. His season line seems to be much more regular now, although it nonetheless comes with a loopy .186 BABIP. He has posted a profession excessive FB%, which has helped put him on a house run tempo that might problem his 2021 whole.

Shock, shock, the Yankees have too many good hitters, and it’s meant seeing Jasson Domínguez on the bench extra typically than you’ll anticipate. Nonetheless, elevated bat velocity, serving to to gas a powerful Might with a .368 wOBA and .221 ISO is making certain he doesn’t sit much more than he has been. On his Statcast energy metrics recommend he’s able to much more than a 13.3% HR/FB charge so I might suppose that energy output will increase and appears extra like his Might over the remainder of the season. Sadly, he’s been weak defensively, which has value him at-bats when he comes out for a defensive alternative.

What occurred to Xander Bogaerts’ energy?! The Might bat velocity enhance is sweet to see, nevertheless it did completely nothing for his outcomes. In reality, he was even worse, with a decline in ISO, BABIP, and wOBA, regardless of a big discount in strikeout charge. It’s bizarre, his HardHit% is above his profession common, his maxEV above 110 MPH like traditional, however he has struggled to barrel the ball. So it’s doubtless most of these exhausting hit balls are on the bottom. A profession excessive stroll charge additionally seems to be like a superb signal, nevertheless it simply hasn’t mattered. Fortunate for his fantasy house owners, he has immediately determined to run wild, already swiping two fewer bases than final yr in lower than half the PAs. He’s on tempo to simply eclipse his earlier profession excessive of 19 steals.

Now let’s flip over to the dangerous velocity decliners.

My gosh, with a .411 wOBA in Might, Ezequiel Tovar will take a bat velocity decline on daily basis of the week! After a poor first interval of the yr, his ISO and BABIP surged, bringing his season marks a lot nearer to expectations. At first I believed he could have performed a disproportionate video games at dwelling throughout Might, however given his harm, he ended up with solely precisely seven video games at dwelling and on the highway. The whole lot right here seems to be good, particularly the improved strikeout charge. Nonetheless, as soon as concern I had that prevented me from shopping for in was a sudden reversal of GB% and FB% final yr, as his FB% went from 33.8% in 2023 to 45.9% in 2024. Which model was the actual Tovar? Positive sufficient, he’s proper again all the way down to 33.3% this yr, so he’s proper again to round a 15-homer tempo. After all, his LD% is all the best way as much as 34.4%, so a minimum of 10% of these will flip into grounders and/or flies, giving his FB% an opportunity to extend the remainder of the best way.

Boooooo seeing Vinnie Pasquantino’s identify second on this record. I used to be very excited after he elevated his bat velocity by 2.2 MPH versus final yr in the course of the season’s first interval, however alas, he wasn’t in a position to maintain such a dramatic enhance. His 72.2 MPH Might mark remains to be 0.5 MPH greater than final yr, however that’s not almost as thrilling as 2.2. We’ll see what June brings, however even with the decreased bat velocity in Might, he noticed a dramatic enhance in wOBA, due to a rebound in BABIP. Sadly, his ISO truly declined, and he’s again to hitting for much much less energy than I’d anticipate given his Statcast metrics. He’s not even a house park factor, as his ISO is nearly similar at dwelling versus away, with solely a marginal enhance in HR/FB charge on the highway. Considered one of lately the outcomes will match the underlying expertise, so don’t quit on him earlier than that occurs!

No have to ring the alarm bells, as even a decline in Junior Caminero’s bat velocity nonetheless retains him among the many league leaders. His strikeout charge and SwStk% are fairly spectacular for a 21-year-old with this a lot energy. The one factor holding him again proper now could be a FB% that must be greater. It at present sits at simply 32.2%, which is just too low for a man with as a lot energy as he possesses. There’s no purpose he must be hitting grounders 50% of the time.

Yikes, it’s ben a catastrophe of a comeback for Matt McLain, who missed all the 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgical procedure. Whereas the outcomes already weren’t there, he can’t afford to lose bat velocity now. Sure, a few of it’s because his BABIP fell again to Earth, after which some, plus he turned an excessive fly ball hitter, which truly is extra aligned together with his minor league historical past than the FB% he posted throughout his 2023 rookie season. However moreover the drop in BABIP, his energy has disappeared. Oddly, his HardHit% is definitely greater than in 2023, his maxEV is similar, and Barrel% is simply barely decrease and nonetheless above the league common. It suggests higher outcomes than what he’s energy on the facility entrance. He ought to definitely enhance because the season progresses, however the truth that he’s batting ninth actually hampers his counting stat upside. It’s anybody’s guess how lengthy a scorching streak he’d want to take care of earlier than being moved up within the lineup.

Elly De La Cruz elevated his ISO in Might, so a decreased bat velocity didn’t appear to matter. His batted ball profile is a bit scary proper now. Again in 2023, the pink flag was how low his FB% was. He fastened that final yr by elevating it above 30%, which was nonetheless beneath common and never ideally suited for an influence hitter, however much better than being simply over 20%. This yr, he has maintained that FB%, besides he’s accomplished it by not often hitting line drives. There’s no manner his LD% stays at 11.4% all season, in order that rises, his GB% and FB% charges will decline. Meaning there’s danger his FB% drops beneath 30% over the remainder of the best way, capping his dwelling run potential.

Soooo, it seems we’d have to attend one more season for the massive Alec Bohm energy breakout. The whole lot he’s accomplished up to now is correct in step with expectations, however in some unspecified time in the future, we would like him to exceed these expectations, proper?! On the constructive facet, his HardHit% is the second highest of his profession, as is his Barrel%. However the drop in bat velocity ain’t serving to issues and can make it tougher to simply attain the kids in HR/FB charge, one thing he nonetheless hasn’t accomplished.

Man, what was within the water in Might in Cincinnati?! TJ Friedl is the third Purple to seem on this record, which isn’t as huge a deal as he isn’t precisely recognized for his energy. Hampering that energy much more is a big decline in FB% after marks over 40% the final two seasons. He’s nonetheless stealing bases although and a large BABIP rebound has ensured he’s nonetheless delivering strong fantasy worth. However xwOBA thinks it’s all a mirage so I wouldn’t depend these constructive batting common contributions persevering with, and when his BABIP falls, so will his stolen base alternatives.

Wyatt Langford was not a reputation I needed to see on this record and his bat velocity decline did seemingly have an effect on his output. His wOBA went from .414 with huge energy to simply .276 with league averageish energy. General, he’s nonetheless at expectations power-wise, although the BABIP appears ripe for enchancment. That he’s already posted an 11/10 season in a few third of a season means he’s an actual menace to go 30/30, which might ship revenue at his doubtless value in most leagues. Hopefully, the bat velocity lower was both a one month blip or not one thing that may considerably have an effect on his energy potential.