Cubs Quick Hits: What Exactly Are The Best Launch Angles?

Statcast-centric metrics (e.g., launch angle and exit velocity) have gained in popularity over the last few years, and, as a result, people’s opinions have varied as to what numbers are optimal. Andrew Perpetua wrote about exactly that in his most recent FanGraphs post, which is a must read for any baseball numbers junkie.

Although you should click on the above link to fully comprehend the details, I’ll point out a few key takeaways:

• Balls hit between -10 and 10 degrees yield the greatest average exit velocity.
• More homers are hit between 25 and 30 degrees, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is ideal to hit balls in that range.
• The most valuable batted balls are hit between 19 and 26 degrees (.730 wOBA).