Stemming from a joke Chris Taylor made about an ugly four-hit day in 2017, “Barrels are overrated” has become the Los Angeles Dodgers slogan of the playoffs. Starting this season, after each Dodger base-knock, the successful slugger turns towards the dugout and shakes out his hands, mocking as if he’s trying to relieve the pain caused by his jam-shot.
In this playfully showboating act of faux self-deprecation, the Dodger hitters are implicitly acknowledging that in the scorebook, despite whatever Statcast’s exit velocity and launch angle readings, ultimately results are all that matter. Though barrels are predictive of success, they don’t guarantee them.