What is HitTrax?

What it measures

• Pitch speed — how fast the ball arrived, in miles per hour.
• Exit velocity — how fast the ball left the bat. This is the single best measure of how hard a hitter is striking the ball.
• Launch angle — the vertical angle the ball leaves at. Ground balls are negative or near zero, line drives sit roughly 10° to 25°, fly balls climb above that.
• Distance — the projected carry of the ball onto a simulated field.
• Direction / spray — pull side, center, or opposite field.
• Result — HitTrax simulates what the batted ball would have been on a real field: single, double, out, home run.

Why the simulated batting average can mislead

Because HitTrax projects results onto a virtual field, a session "batting average" reflects both quality of contact and luck of placement. Over 48 pitches that number bounces around a lot. Exit velocity and sweet spot rate are far more stable indicators of real improvement, which is why Batting Report leads with them.

How often should you track?

Once per cage session is plenty. Improvement in exit velocity is measured over months, not days — a young hitter typically adds a few miles per hour a year through growth, strength and better sequencing. Keeping every session in one place is what makes that trend visible.

Keep reading

Next: exit velocity by age and how to read your session report.