Cubs Quick Hits: Watch Kris Bryant’s Highest Homer of 2016

Most homers are hit with a launch angle between 25 and 30 degrees, with the average falling right around 29 degrees. But in a game against the Phillies last year, Kris Bryant hit a homer by launching the pitch into the Wrigley air at a 43.85 degree angle (per Statcast). It was his highest hit homer of the year, coming off of pitcher Adam Morgan in late May.

For the sake of reference, only 13 of the home runs Statcast tracked last season were hit at a steeper angle, led by Mark Teixeira’s 47.8 degree blast against Carlos Villanueva on July 3. While there’s no doubt moonshots are fun to watch, they don’t get the same consistent results as balls hit with a little less loft.

Hence, Bryant’s diligent offseason work to change his swing in order to create a more ideal launch angle.