ACC Launching Pads

[78pike]

From time to time over the years I have heard Russ Chandler Stadium referred to as a launching pad. Whether that is because of the fact Tech has traditionally been a power hitting team while also having subpar pitching or because of the dimensions of the stadium I'm not sure. In an earlier thread I listed the dimensions of each stadium in the ACC and determined that they were not much different overall. So I decided to go back over the past two seasons and total the number of home runs hit by both teams in each ACC venue to see what the numbers look like. This is what I found.

What the numbers show is that Tech indeed led the conference last year in home runs per game but that was with a team that was a statistical anomaly given the hitting talent throughout the lineup. If you look at the 2021 season there were three teams that exceeded the homers at Rusty C and one that was the same. So, while this is just a small sample size (it took too much time to run the numbers for more than 2 seasons) it doesn't really support the theory that we have the "launching pad" of the ACC. These are just raw numbers so there is no way to factor in the pitching talent of each team or that of their opposition. Nor does it take into account the talent of the out of conference talent that visited each team so draw what conclusions you may. What is interesting, however, is that with few exceptions the numbers increased across the board from 2021 to 2022. Does this mean there were changes in baseball or bat composition leading to the increased numbers? Not that I am aware of. Are players just getting bigger and stronger? I do think pitch velocity has increased throughout the NCAA over the past few years so maybe that has led to more home runs.

The ACC has certainly become one of the top conferences top to bottom in the entire country. There is talent all over the place. Maybe that is why we are seeing the homers increase year over year. Curious what conclusions the rest of you might draw from these numbers.

 

[FredJacket]

From time to time over the years I have heard Russ Chandler Stadium referred to as a launching pad. Whether that is because of the fact Tech has traditionally been a power hitting team while also having subpar pitching or because of the dimensions of the stadium I'm not sure. In an earlier thread I listed the dimensions of each stadium in the ACC and determined that they were not much different overall. So I decided to go back over the past two seasons and total the number of home runs hit by both teams in each ACC venue to see what the numbers look like. This is what I found.

View attachment 14072

What the numbers show is that Tech indeed led the conference last year in home runs per game but that was with a team that was a statistical anomaly given the hitting talent throughout the lineup. If you look at the 2021 season there were three teams that exceeded the homers at Rusty C and one that was the same. So, while this is just a small sample size (it took too much time to run the numbers for more than 2 seasons) it doesn't really support the theory that we have the "launching pad" of the ACC. These are just raw numbers so there is no way to factor in the pitching talent of each team or that of their opposition. Nor does it take into account the talent of the out of conference talent that visited each team so draw what conclusions you may. What is interesting, however, is that with few exceptions the numbers increased across the board from 2021 to 2022. Does this mean there were changes in baseball or bat composition leading to the increased numbers? Not that I am aware of. Are players just getting bigger and stronger? I do think pitch velocity has increased throughout the NCAA over the past few years so maybe that has led to more home runs.

The ACC has certainly become one of the top conferences top to bottom in the entire country. There is talent all over the place. Maybe that is why we are seeing the homers increase year over year. Curious what conclusions the rest of you might draw from these numbers.

Can't say I understand exactly what the data here is... what does he mean by "thru 12 games"? I'm not aware of any team who's played 12 in 2023 (yet). But I'll take him at his word it's a set time period across last 3 seasons. HRs way up.

One factor... it's been unseasonably warm in SE where most east coast games have been played so far.

 

[MWBATL]

From time to time over the years I have heard Russ Chandler Stadium referred to as a launching pad. Whether that is because of the fact Tech has traditionally been a power hitting team while also having subpar pitching or because of the dimensions of the stadium I'm not sure. In an earlier thread I listed the dimensions of each stadium in the ACC and determined that they were not much different overall. So I decided to go back over the past two seasons and total the number of home runs hit by both teams in each ACC venue to see what the numbers look like. This is what I found.

View attachment 14072

What the numbers show is that Tech indeed led the conference last year in home runs per game but that was with a team that was a statistical anomaly given the hitting talent throughout the lineup. If you look at the 2021 season there were three teams that exceeded the homers at Rusty C and one that was the same. So, while this is just a small sample size (it took too much time to run the numbers for more than 2 seasons) it doesn't really support the theory that we have the "launching pad" of the ACC. These are just raw numbers so there is no way to factor in the pitching talent of each team or that of their opposition. Nor does it take into account the talent of the out of conference talent that visited each team so draw what conclusions you may. What is interesting, however, is that with few exceptions the numbers increased across the board from 2021 to 2022. Does this mean there were changes in baseball or bat composition leading to the increased numbers? Not that I am aware of. Are players just getting bigger and stronger? I do think pitch velocity has increased throughout the NCAA over the past few years so maybe that has led to more home runs.

The ACC has certainly become one of the top conferences top to bottom in the entire country. There is talent all over the place. Maybe that is why we are seeing the homers increase year over year. Curious what conclusions the rest of you might draw from these numbers.

Is this HR's hit by BOTH teams in the home park of the team listed? Or just HR's hit at home by each team?

It's not total HR's divided by total games, right?

 

[78pike]

Is this HR's hit by BOTH teams in the home park of the team listed? Or just HR's hit at home by each team?

It's not total HR's divided by total games, right?

It's total home runs hit at each ACC ballpark by both the home and visitor teams both in and out of conference. For example, in 2022 Georgia Tech played a total of 31 home games at which 106 home runs were hit combined by both Tech and the opposition. So 106 home runs divided by 31 games comes to 3.42 home runs per game. UNC and the visiting team at their home park hit a total of 123 home runs over 42 games at UNC thus 2.93 home runs per game and so on. The premise was to determine if statistics over a two year period resulted in the conclusion that Russ Chandler Stadium is more of a launching pad than any other stadium in the conference. In my opinion it is not. Last year balls flew out of the Rusty C at a record pace because we had a monster of a lineup and a poor pitching staff overall. The previous year there were 3 or 4 other stadiums that produced as much or more home run production. I don't think the numbers prove we have a launching pad of a home field any more than any other of the good hitting teams in the conference. What they do show is more home runs were hit last year at just about every stadium in the ACC. And based on the numbers in the link of the post above they are increasing even more this year all across the country. The last time this trend occurred the NCAA stepped in and changed the bat composition to cut down on the long balls and the exit velocity off the bat.

 

[CINCYMETJACKET]

It's total home runs hit at each ACC ballpark by both the home and visitor teams both in and out of conference. For example, in 2022 Georgia Tech played a total of 31 home games at which 106 home runs were hit combined by both Tech and the opposition. So 106 home runs divided by 31 games comes to 3.42 home runs per game. UNC and the visiting team at their home park hit a total of 123 home runs over 42 games at UNC thus 2.93 home runs per game and so on.

Just curious, does it also include NCAA regional games? If so, I'm assuming that UNC's total, for example, would not include NCAA regional games that UNC did not play in?

 

[GTRambler]

Can't say I understand exactly what the data here is... what does he mean by "thru 12 games"? I'm not aware of any team who's played 12 in 2023 (yet). But I'll take him at his word it's a set time period across last 3 seasons. HRs way up.

One factor... it's been unseasonably warm in SE where most east coast games have been played so far.

This is interesting! Livelier ball this year? Or better aluminum bats? Or both?

Or perhaps more of those bigger and stronger players? Or more players using better launch angles?

 

[GTRambler]

My son-in-law is the head coach for a Division III college baseball team. He tells me more homers are being hit in Division III baseball at this early stage of the year, compared to the same stage last year.

I asked him what did he think is causing the increase in home runs so far this year. His reply:

“It’s covid years of eligibility, and players age is older. Kids are more physical. We set our school HR record last year too. Older and stronger kids playing with added years of eligibility. I have three 23-year-old players currently.”

“LaGrange has a 2016 HS graduate playing CF. It’s insane.”

 

[78pike]

Just curious, does it also include NCAA regional games? If so, I'm assuming that UNC's total, for example, would not include NCAA regional games that UNC did not play in?

If a team played home games in a regional then I included them. The input was based on an entirety of games scheduled at each ACC stadium that included the ACC team. I did not include any games that did not include the ACC team in their home stadium. For example if Texas Tech and Harvard played at UNC I would not have included that data.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

My son-in-law is the head coach for a Division III college baseball team. He tells me more homers are being hit in Division III baseball at this early stage of the year, compared to the same stage last year.

I asked him what did he think is causing the increase in home runs so far this year. His reply:

“It’s covid years of eligibility, and players age is older. Kids are more physical. We set our school HR record last year too. Older and stronger kids playing with added years of eligibility. I have three 23-year-old players currently.”

“LaGrange has a 2016 HS graduate playing CF. It’s insane.”

Thanks. I would have thought the pitchers are older and better too. But obviously, hitting is winning at this point of the season. I'll bet (not much only pride) that come the ACC tourney, that pitching will have reasserted itself and HR numbers will be down.

 

[gtbeak]

Thanks. I would have thought the pitchers are older and better too. But obviously, hitting is winning at this point of the season. I'll bet (not much only pride) that come the ACC tourney, that pitching will have reasserted itself and HR numbers will be down.

Usually home run frequency increases as the season progresses, mainly due to the warmer weather, but also possibly because of the pitchers getting tired or injured more frequently than the hitters.

 

[78pike]

Usually home run frequency increases as the season progresses, mainly due to the warmer weather, but also possibly because of the pitchers getting tired or injured more frequently than the hitters.

Hard to believe the home run rate could increase more than what is currently happening. But if it does watch out. We may see another adjustment to the bat composition. It's not so much that they want to curtail homers but the exit velocity to protect pitchers from being taken out. I can't remember the number now, but over the weekend on one of Finley's blasts the announcers quoted some ridiculous exit velocity off his bat.

 

[FredJacket]

Check out the comments for all the theories on why HRs are up.