What is Launch Angle (LA)?

According to MLB.com Launch Angle represents the vertical angle at which the ball leaves a player’s bat after being struck. The degree in which the ball exits the ball determines the type of contact made. Below is a chart that displays the outcome of a batted ball based off its launch angle.

Why do we care?

So why do we care about launch angles? Well we can use this data to identify fly ball and line drive hitters. Those who have launch angles in that degree-range are generally making better contact than those who are hitting more ground balls or pop ups. The better the contact, the higher the level of production that is likely to follow. We should also care because players and coaches are starting to care and are starting to implement it in their teaching. This has resulted in teams and players seeing drastic increases in their overall home run totals and we will likely continue to see these trends continue into this season.

Who is it...