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Barrel
A barrel is a batted ball with both high exit velocity and an optimal launch angle at the same time — the combination most likely to become an extra-base hit.
In MLB ball-tracking data, a barrel is defined as at least 98 mph exit velocity at a 26–30° launch angle, with the qualifying launch-angle range widening as exit velocity climbs. "Barrel" also refers to the thick hitting part of the bat; here it is the batted-ball quality metric. Barrel rate is one of the strongest predictors of power production.
Example — MLB batted-ball tracking definition
A 103 mph ball at 28° is a barrel — the kind of contact that leaves the yard.
Related terms
- Exit Velocity (EV)Exit velocity is how fast the ball comes off the bat, in mph. It is a ceiling metric — the harder you hit it, the farther it can go.
- Launch Angle (Batting)Launch angle in batting is the vertical angle the ball leaves the bat. Roughly 10–25° produces the hardest, most productive contact.
- Hard-Hit RateHard-hit rate is the percentage of batted balls hit above a set exit-velocity threshold (typically 95 mph in MLB, adjusted by level). It is a better measure of contact quality than batting average.
Related guides & benchmarks
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