The Approach Angle

Nate Schwartz (@_nateschwartz) and Kyle Bland (@blandalytics) are joined by Alex Chamberlain to talk approach angles and pitch movement.

This week, Nate and Kyle hop into the world of pitch movement, and Alex Chamberlain joins the discussion as one of the key researchers on approach angles. They start with the foundation of pitch movement—what causes movement, how pitches move, and the topline concepts of movement. They transition to discussing the required context for all pitch movement numbers. This revolves around arm angle and other physical characteristics, such as extension and release point, which explain why the fastball deadzone is actually dynamic. Finally, the group talks approach angles, as they explain vertical approach angle and horizontal approach angle. Vertical approach angle is powerful in understanding fastball performance, and both approach angles are most effective on the edges of the strike zone.

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