Introducing THE Hitter Potential Score!
There is a ton to dive into regarding the Hitter Potential Score so we recorded this podcast with our co-founders - Bobby Tewksbary and Chris Colabello, and CEO - Bennett Fisher to explain in thorough detail what went into creating this. We highly recommend giving this a full listen to better understand the Hitter Potential Score and what it means for our industry.
Included topics:
What is the Hitter Potential Score and why is it necessary?
A deep dive into the 5 components that make up the overall score
An explanation as to how the overall score is calculated
Bigger picture discussion about what this means for baseball players and coaches across the industry
Subscribe to the podcast here:
🍎 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pelotero-podcast/id1535734785
🟢 - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Krik8mtn7RsqbGrQCtx4s?si=VHYVU_u8TGyuAey7L8zsYg
What is the Hitter Potential Score?
The Hitter Potential Score is an overall measurement of a hitter's swing performance that leverages data from slow motion video and bat sensors. These data sources evaluate 50+ mechanical attributes and bat metrics and instantly process them to calculate a score on a scale of 1-100. This score is an amalgamation of 5 major indicators of a hitter's success.
These 5 indicators are as follows:
Bat Performance
This refers to the potential physical output of a player’s swing. It considers things like bat speed, impact momentum, acceleration and applied power to assess the level of energy a player is transferring to the ball. It also considers mechanical characteristics such as head and hip movement to understand how a player is creating this energy.
Swing Plane
With the majority of outs made in the infield, it's critical for a player to be able to drive the ball in the air to the outfield. Analyzing attack angle in the swing, vertical movement of the hands, and several other mechanical checkpoints creates an accurate picture of how well a hitter will be able to create effective ball flight.
Depth and Length
The depth and length of a player’s swing tells us a lot about their margin for error. Being able to hit the ball deep in the zone gives a player more time to see and react to a pitch. Swing length provides the ability to get fooled by a pitch and still have a chance to be successful as the bat is on plane longer. Several mechanical traits such as lead arm vertical movement and head movement during the stride are assessed to create this evaluation.
Body Mechanics
This is an overall assessment of a hitter’s movements and whether they are putting themselves in the right positions to be successful. Swing characteristics like head movement, lead arm movement, shoulder slope, and more are crucial checkpoints that determine which zones a hitter may struggle with and whether or not they’ll have a high level of adjustability.
Swing Direction
Swing Direction refers to the direction of the force of the bat. Having good swing direction means that a player can hit the ball effectively in a wide variety of zones. It keys in on attributes such as shoulder tilt and slope at different points throughout the swing. Assessing these is paramount to evaluating a hitter's ability to hit the ball to all fields and identifying potential holes in their swing.
What does the overall score mean for a hitter?
The overall score is a measure of how these 5 major components fit together and represent how high a hitter's potential is to perform in games based on their swing performance. A hitter with an extremely high Hitter Potential Score might not necessarily perform well in games, and a hitter with a low score may perform very well. However, the hitter with the higher Hitter Potential Score has more potential for success based on their swing, independent of competitive attributes like approach, pitch selection, ability to be on time etc.
How should hitters be using the score?
The Hitter Potential Score is not the be-all end-all for player development - game performance is another key consideration. But raising your Hitter Potential Score raises a hitter's potential for in-game success. Having a higher performing swing creates advantages like more power, more adjustability, and fewer holes in the strike zone. Using Pelotero's Player Intelligence platform, hitters can generate developmental programming to address weaknesses demonstrated in their score. Hitters should be assessing their swing using the Hitter Potential Score, training, and reassessing to help them benchmark throughout their development timeline.
Where can hitters go to get scored?
There are two ways for hitters to get Hitter Potential Scores for themselves.
Scores are provided to any hitter that attends a Perfect Game Showcase or Prospect Gateway event. Click here to find an event near you.
Pelotero's partner organizations provide scores for all of their athletes. Click here to find a partner program near you.
