Hit F/X on the Way

Many of you have probably seen the Pitch F/X tracker information that has been utilized my Major League Baseball, and has allowed for in-game analysis of movement of individual pitches. (For a nice look at Justin Masterson using Pitch F/X data, check out RedSoxData.com)

As great as the Pitch F/X system has been, there appears to be a Hit F/X system on the way. The system could provide data that would allow the average stat head a chance to run comparisons between hitters, scouting reports, coaching strategies, and mechanical analysis. If it all sounds like a bunch of boring number crunching, then I can't really argue with that, but for people like me who rely on stats to tell the story behind the game, these types of advancements could provide countless insights into evaluating and projecting player performances and results.

Imagine if your favorite hitter has been in a horrible slump for the past 3 weeks, and his team is struggling. A quick look at the Hit F/X numbers could tell you if he's getting under the ball too much, missing each pitch by a mile, or if he's hitting the ball squarely, but right at an infielder. You could also determine which hitters create the highest ball speed off of their bats, and which hitters create the best angle of projection at the point of contact.

It's some pretty cool stuff, and I think we'll see some really nice analysis come from the blogosphere once it's in place.