Launch angle

Launch angle is the vertical angle a batted ball takes off the bat, measured in degrees relative to the ground: a launch angle of 0 degrees is a line drive parallel to the ground, negative angles are ground balls, and higher positive angles are fly balls and pop-ups. It is captured by the same tracking systems, such as MLB's Statcast, that measure exit velocity.

Neither number alone predicts outcome well; the two are analyzed together. Very low launch angles produce ground balls that are usually outs regardless of how hard they are hit, while very high angles produce routine fly balls or pop-ups. The productive range, roughly 8 to 32 degrees when paired with sufficient exit velocity, defines a "barrel," the batted-ball classification most strongly associated with extra-base hits and home runs.

Hitters and coaches use launch-angle data to diagnose swing tendencies, such as a hitter who consistently hits the ball on the ground and is leaving power on the table, and teams use aggregate launch-angle trends to identify swing-change candidates. The common pitfall is assuming higher launch angle is always better; beyond the productive range, added loft turns hard-hit balls into fly outs, so the goal is the right combination of angle and exit velocity, not maximum loft on its own.