Astros 2018 Team Defense in Review

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY SportsBaseball has always been a game of numbers. Ted Williams batting .400, Hank Aaron’s 755 home runs (and Barry Bonds’ 762), Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak, Nolan Ryan’s 5,714 strikeouts. The list of numerical and statistical accomplishments is endless (in a quite satisfying way). In recent years, data collection methodology and consumption has intensified (e.g., Trackman, Statcast, FanGraphs, Baseball Savant) and driven what can be best described as a revolution within the sport. The intricate analyses being performed have shifted the way fans watch and experience the game, how players approach the game, and how teams construct their rosters. Launch angles, exit velocities, spin rates, shifts, “Openers,” have all become common lexicon for baseball fans.

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