RESEARCH: QBaB over small samples—Exit Velocity

Introduction

Last year we introduced QBaB, a letter grade that succinctly summarizes a batter’s batted ball quality over a season. We showed, among other things, that QBaB scores are well-correlated with positive outcomes, that they don’t change much from season to season, and that batters who underperform or overperform their QBaB tend to regress strongly toward the mean that is consistent with their score.

But what about in sample sizes smaller than a season? Today, we’ll see what we can do with less information.

QBaB 101

To recap, there are three components to a hitter’s QBaB score, and each component will earn a letter grade from A to F. The player is evaluated on mean Exit Velocity, mean Launch Angle, and Launch Angle...

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