Strength, speed, and anthropometric predictors of in-game batting performance in baseball

A key focus of sports science research is the identification of quantitative assessments that can predict players' on-field performance and developmental potential. Despite efforts to establish predictive models, there are few validated measures that show reliable associations and large gaps in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sports sciences 2024-04, Vol.42 (8), p.720-727
Main Authors: Kohn, Jordan N., Lochhead, Liam, Feng, Jiren, Bobb, Ryan, Appelbaum, L. Gregory
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Anthropometry
assessments
athlete
Athletic Performance - physiology
Baseball
Baseball - physiology
Batting performance
Humans
machine learning
Male
Motor Skills - physiology
Muscle Strength - physiology
prediction
Prediction models
Regression analysis
Young Adult
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Summary:A key focus of sports science research is the identification of quantitative assessments that can predict players' on-field performance and developmental potential. Despite efforts to establish predictive models, there are few validated measures that show reliable associations and large gaps in understanding. Here, we test a multidimensional battery of assessments developed through the USA Baseball, Prospect Development Pipeline that capture strength and functional movement abilities, and anthropometric characteristics, in a two-year cohort of collegiate baseball players from the Appalachian League. Swing propensity metrics for Zone Contact Percentage (ZCP: proportion pitches in strike zone swung at and hit) and Hard-Hit Percentage (HHP: proportion in-play balls with exit velocity ≥ 95 mph) were calculated on 189 players. Models testing hierarchical combinations of anthropometric and anthropometric plus assessment data were implemented using nested cross-validation with random forest and elastic net regression. Results indicate that anthropometric features account for 29% of variance in ZCP and 50-55% of HHP, while the addition of assessment contributed an additional 1-3% to ZCP and 5-12% to HHP, with top predictors coming from PDP strength and power assessments. These findings delineate contributions of andromorphic and physical abilities to in-game baseball performance using a validated assessment battery and advanced game statistics.
ISSN:0264-0414
1466-447X
1466-447X
DOI:10.1080/02640414.2024.2363679