Batted Ball Event (BBE)
Also known as: batted ball event, batted ball events, BBE, what counts as a batted ball, hit distance, projected home run distance
A batted ball event is any batted ball that produces a result: a hit, an out or an error. Every fair ball counts, and so does a foul ball caught for an out. Other foul balls do not count. Statcast uses batted ball events to figure average exit velocity, launch angle, hard-hit rate and barrel rate.
BBE is the base number for most Statcast hitting stats. When a stat says "per batted ball," this is what it divides by.
A strikeout or a walk is not a batted ball event. Neither is a foul ball that lands in the stands. A pop-up caught in foul ground is one, because it produced an out.
Statcast also tracks hit distance, which is how far from home plate a batted ball lands. That spot can be the ground, the seats, the wall or a glove. For home runs, projected distance estimates how far the ball would have flown with nothing in the way.
Tips by skill level
When you read a Statcast stat, check how many batted ball events it uses. Bigger samples are more reliable.
Use hit distance to compare batted balls in one park. For home runs, projected distance is fairer across parks.
Example
A hitter puts 40 balls in play in a month and lines out to a fielder in foul ground twice. He has 42 batted ball events. His average exit velocity uses all 42.
Why it matters
Knowing what counts as a BBE explains why some stats need many games to settle. It also explains why a few weak balls can drag an average down.
Common mistakes
- Counting foul balls into the stands
- Counting strikeouts as batted balls
- Trusting a rate stat built on very few batted balls
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a batted ball event?
Any batted ball that produces a result: a hit, an out or an error. All fair balls count, plus foul balls caught for outs.
Does a foul ball count as a batted ball event?
Only if it is caught for an out. A foul ball that lands in the stands or rolls dead does not count.
What is hit distance in Statcast?
It is how far from home plate a batted ball lands, whether on the ground, in the seats, off the wall or in a glove.
What is projected home run distance?
It estimates how far a home run would have traveled if seats or walls had not stopped it.
Sources
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.
- Hard-Hit RateHard-hit rate is the percentage of batted balls struck above a set exit-velocity threshold — usually 95 mph in MLB, scaled lower for amateur levels. It measures contact quality independent of luck.
- BarrelA barrel is a batted ball with both high exit velocity and an optimal launch angle. That combination is the one most likely to produce extra-base hits.
- 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.
- Expected Stats (xBA, xSLG, xwOBA)XBA, xSLG and xwOBA are Statcast's expected stats. They estimate what a hitter's batting average, slugging and wOBA should be, based on how hard and at what angle each ball was hit. On some weakly hit balls, sprint speed is added. Because they remove the defense, they show contact quality better than the real results.
Related guides & benchmarks
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