Overview
Launch angle measures the vertical angle in degrees at which the ball leaves the bat, enabled by tracking systems like Trackman and Hawk-Eye. Statistically, launch angles of 25 to 35 degrees produce the most extra-base hits, with home runs averaging approximately 28 degrees. This insight drove the fly ball revolution, with MLB hitters increasingly adopting uppercut swings to elevate launch angles from 2015 onward. NPB awareness of launch angle is growing, but Japanese hitters traditionally emphasize level swings, and extreme fly ball approaches have not penetrated as deeply as in MLB.