- Thu Feb 27, 2025 9:40 am
#7028
Have you ever thought about the art of hitting a baseball? It’s often said that the hardest thing to do in sports is to hit a round ball with a round bat. But what if we flipped that notion on its head? What if the real challenge lies in hitting the ball as softly as possible?
Recently, the Blue Jays have introduced live batted ball data during batting practice, and it got me thinking: how can we gamify this? Imagine a competition where players aim for the softest hit possible. The current record for the softest batted ball in the Statcast era is a mere 5.2 mph from a sacrifice bunt by Christian Bethancourt. But what if we set our sights on the softest hit ball in the air? The benchmark is currently at 26.9 mph.
This raises some intriguing questions:
- How would you approach trying to hit the ball softly? Would you focus on technique, or is it all about luck?
- What strategies could players employ to intentionally hit the ball at such low velocities?
- Do you think there’s a place for this kind of playful competition in professional baseball, or is it too far removed from the seriousness of the game?
- And for the fans, what’s the softest hit you’ve ever seen in a game?
Let’s dive into the nuances of hitting and the unexpected joy of soft contact. Who knows, maybe we’ll discover a new appreciation for the subtleties of the game!
Recently, the Blue Jays have introduced live batted ball data during batting practice, and it got me thinking: how can we gamify this? Imagine a competition where players aim for the softest hit possible. The current record for the softest batted ball in the Statcast era is a mere 5.2 mph from a sacrifice bunt by Christian Bethancourt. But what if we set our sights on the softest hit ball in the air? The benchmark is currently at 26.9 mph.
This raises some intriguing questions:
- How would you approach trying to hit the ball softly? Would you focus on technique, or is it all about luck?
- What strategies could players employ to intentionally hit the ball at such low velocities?
- Do you think there’s a place for this kind of playful competition in professional baseball, or is it too far removed from the seriousness of the game?
- And for the fans, what’s the softest hit you’ve ever seen in a game?
Let’s dive into the nuances of hitting and the unexpected joy of soft contact. Who knows, maybe we’ll discover a new appreciation for the subtleties of the game!