Bet The Process Rufus and Jeff Talk Baseball Analytics with Eno Sarris
14 snips
Apr 17, 2024 
Eno Sarris, a senior writer for baseball analytics at The Athletic, discusses player development challenges, team chemistry, and the balance between qualitative and quantitative player evaluation in baseball analytics on the Bet The Process podcast.
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Bat Speed Drives Power Gains
- Bat speed is the clearest path to adding power because swinging faster makes it easier to hit the ball hard.
- Teams resist the simplicity even though training (weighted bats) can raise bat speed and power.
Use Weighted Bats For Contact Hitters
- Try putting high-contact prospects on weighted-bat programs to increase bat speed and power.
- The Red Sox applied this to prospects like David Hamilton and Roman Anthony with measurable results.
Power-Contact Tradeoffs Depend On Context
- Sacrificing some contact for added power can be worth it because slugging now correlates more with team success than on-base percentage.
- That tradeoff is context dependent and not universally optimal, especially for postseason play.