An official MLB "Barrel" represents batted balls with the optimal pairing of exit velocity and launch angle, yielding an expected batting average of at least .500 and slugging percentage of at least 1.500.
Baseball flight does not follow pure parabolic Newtonian mechanics. Backspin induces upward Magnus force counteracting gravity, while air friction causes heavy speed decay before impact:
Every Major League ballpark features distinct outfield geometry that determines whether a drive is caught or clears the fence:
Jackson Chourio became one of the youngest players in MLB Postseason history to hit a game-tying or walk-off home run, combining elite bat speed with an optimal 28° launch angle that carried 400+ feet into the right-field seats, bypassing deep defensive shifts.
Without backspin, a 105 mph ball hit at 28° would drop around 360–375 feet due to gravity and air drag. The Magnus force created by 2,000+ rpm backspin creates higher air pressure underneath the ball, generating aerodynamic lift that extends carry beyond 405 feet.
xBA evaluates millions of historical batted balls with similar exit velocity, launch angle, and horizontal spray direction. Hits launched at 105+ mph with launch angles between 24° and 32° possess an xBA exceeding .900 regardless of defensive positioning.
Yes. The simulation runs complete numerical integration of drag and Magnus differential equations locally in your browser, rendering the flight path and stadium in real-time WebGL.