Statcast of the Day: Posey’s luck, pop return

In general, the higher a hitter’s exit velocity, the better off he is.

However, weak contact isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, if it’s paired with the right launch angle — which helps determine a batted ball’s trajectory — it can cause a lot of problems for a defense. The Cardinals discovered that on Friday night, when Giants catcher Buster Posey came through with a key two-run single in San Francisco’s 8-2 victory, which kept it in sole possession of the top National League Wild Card spot.

In the bottom of the third inning at AT&T Park, Posey stepped to the plate against Cardinals rookie right-hander Luke Weaver with runners on second and third and two outs and the Giants leading, 1-0. Weaver jammed Posey with a 91.7-mph fastball off the inside corner, but the All-Star catcher put an inside-out swing on it and made contact.

Posey’s exit velocity was a mere 68.1 mph, according to Statcast™, compared with his season average of 91.3. But his 28.5-degree launch angle was in the sweet spot required to get a ball over the infielders and have it land in front of the outfielders.

This season, on batted balls with a …

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