Braves Top 10 hardest hit balls of 2019

[Enscheff]

No game, so may as well look at some early statcast data.

Top 10 hardest hit balls by Braves so far:

1 Ronald Acuna Jr. 112.6 - 2019-03-28 - single up the middle
2 Josh Donaldson 112.5 - 2019-04-01 - single up the middle
3 Nick Markakis 108.8 - 2019-03-30 - grounder to 2B
4 Ozzie Albies 108.7 - 2019-04-01 - single to the right side
5 Dansby Swanson 108.4 - 2019-03-30 - laser HR to LF
6 Ronald Acuna Jr. 108.4 - 2019-04-01 - HR to CF
7 Freddie Freeman 108.3 - 2019-04-01 - oppo double to LF
8 Josh Donaldson 108.1 - 2019-03-31 - single to LF
9 Tyler Flowers 107.5 - 2019-03-30 - single up the middle
10 Dansby Swanson 107.2 - 2019-04-01 - single off pitcher

Notes:

Last year the 110+ mph batted balls were basically all hit by Acuna. It will be fun to see him and Donaldson hitting those bolts this season.

The Braves aren't getting their hardest hit balls up in the air. If that changes expect to see the offense take off.

It's great to see Swanson hitting some missiles early in the season.

[AerchAngel]

Damn, dude.

Sav should give you my name instead with a promotion

Master of Statistics.

[Carp]

Encouraging to see Donaldson with multiple hits on this list. I think he's going to have a huge year as long as he can stay healthy.

[nsacpi]

Exit velocity is important. But a guy like Freeman shows that there is more than one way to be a great hitter.

[bravesfanMatt]

Exit velocity is important. But a guy like Freeman shows that there is more than one way to be a great hitter.

Yeah but I don’t like the thought of him teaching guys to get hit on their hand to reach base.

[striker42]

I wish we'd had measurements of exit velocity back with Sheffield was playing for us.

[Enscheff]

Exit velocity is important. But a guy like Freeman shows that there is more than one way to be a great hitter.

They've determined that the magical velocity threshold is 95+ mph. The more often a player hits the ball that hard at a good aunch angle, the better he is. Freeman is not really that great at that aspect of hitting...good, not great.

Of course that's just considering what happens when a hitter swings at a ball and hits it. The other parts of hitting that include plate discipline and contact rate, which is where Freeman truly excels and makes his non-elite ball striking play up.

Duvall is a much better ball striker than Freeman, but much worse at everything else...so he's a bad overall hitter.

[SJ24]

I wish we'd had measurements of exit velocity back with Sheffield was playing for us.

My all-time favorite player.

Dear God. So violent and tenacious.

I used his bat waggle in little league.

The Chipper-Andruw-Sheffield outfield was amazing.

[Enscheff]

My all-time favorite player.

Dear God. So violent and tenacious.

I used his bat waggle in little league.

The Chipper-Andruw-Sheffield outfield was amazing.

I bet you were quite the force to be reckoned with 10 years ago in little league! The peak of your baseball career!

D1 Daddy sitting in the stands, cheering you on! So proud!

That's where you were developing your understanding of sports, and why you "just know athletes" now.

It's also where you first made a bet with a teammate and then backed out when you lost.

Twit.

[jpack1]

My all-time favorite player.

Dear God. So violent and tenacious.

I used his bat waggle in little league.

The Chipper-Andruw-Sheffield outfield was amazing.

One of the elite OFs of all time.

[SJ24]

I bet you were quite the force to be reckoned with 10 years ago in little league! The peak of your baseball career!

D1 Daddy sitting in the stands, cheering you on! So proud!

That's where you were developing your understanding of sports, and why you "just know athletes" now.

It's also where you first made a bet with a teammate and then backed out when you lost.

Twit.

Pure. Bred. Psychopath.

[Enscheff]

Pure. Bred. Psychopath.

Pure. Bred. Athlete. Expert.

[SJ24]

Pure. Bred. Athlete. Expert.

Pretty much. Now go run along and play with your protractor before I stuff you in a locker!!

[Enscheff]

Pretty much. Now go run along and play with your protractor before I stuff you in a locker!!

LOL. The thought of a non-athlete like you handling me is comical.

What are you benching nowadays young man? Can you even do a push up?

[CyYoung31]

I bet you were quite the force to be reckoned with 10 years ago in little league! The peak of your baseball career!

D1 Daddy sitting in the stands, cheering you on! So proud!

That's where you were developing your understanding of sports, and why you "just know athletes" now.

It's also where you first made a bet with a teammate and then backed out when you lost.

Twit.

Let’s bookmark this page next time you swear innocence on starting ****.