Statcast a useful tool to find free agents’ strengths

There are many ways for teams to analyze free agents this offseason — from scouting reports to traditional stats to wins above replacement and beyond. Statcast™ provides yet another angle.

The state-of-the-art system just finished its second season of tracking every play of every game in every big league ballpark, offering an in-depth look at the tools that allow these players to perform.

Here then are nine key free agents who remain available, along with a Statcast™ metric that helps explain how each of them has found success. 

• Hot Stove Tracker

RP Aroldis Chapman: Perceived velocity Everyone knows Chapman throws hard, but simple velocity actually understates the challenge he presents to opposing hitters. Among 54 left-handers who threw at least 500 four-seam fastballs this past season, Chapman and his 6-foot-4 frame finished sixth with an average extension of 6.75 feet. By releasing his pitches closer to the plate, he gives the hitter even less time to react, thereby increasing the perceived velocity. In 2016, Chapman reached a perceived velo of 102 mph or harder 311 times, accounting for about 83 percent of the MLB total. When such a pitch ended an at-bat, opponents hit .114 with a .165 slugging percentage.

OF/SS Ian Desmond: Arm strength In 2015, Desmond showed off the best average arm strength among Major League shortstops, according to Statcast™. He took that rocket with him to the outfield after signing a one-year deal with the Rangers. In 130 games as a center fielder after an early stint in left, Desmond notched two of the position’s 11 hardest-thrown assists. On June 18, he nailed the Cardinals’ Kolten Wong at the plate (96.6 mph), and on Aug. 21, he got the Rays’ Brad Miller at third (90.9 mph).

1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion: Home run distance Since 2012, only Chris Davis (197) has homered more times than Encarnacion (193). In the Statcast™ era (’15-16), the longtime Blue Jays slugger ranks fourth, with 81. As Statcast™ shows, Encarnacion hasn’t just been hitting cheapies. During that time, the system tracked 25 Encarnacion homers at 420 feet or further. Those are mostly no-doubt …

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