IntermediateHitting · Tracking
HardHit%
Hard-Hit Rate
The share of a hitter's batted balls that come off the bat at 95 mph or faster.
Simple explanation
Average exit velocity (how fast the ball leaves the bat) gets dragged down easily by a few weak dribblers. Hard-hit rate sets those aside and counts only how often the ball is hit hard.
The line is drawn at 95 mph because results on contact get noticeably better from that speed up. A hitter with a high hard-hit rate and poor numbers may just have been unlucky.
Detailed explanation
HardHit% = batted balls at 95+ mph ÷ BBE
- BBE
- batted ball events: balls in play that became hits, outs or errors
The denominator is batted balls, not plate appearances. Strikeouts and walks are left out, so a hitter who strikes out a lot can still post a high hard-hit rate.
Speed is all that matters here, not angle. A 95 mph grounder counts as hard-hit. For the batted balls that turn into extra-base hits, barrels combine exit velocity with launch angle.
The 2026 MLB average was 38.6%, a clear drop from 40.9% in 2025. League-wide average exit velocity and barrel rate fell that season as well.
Common misconception
“Lots of hard-hit balls means lots of power.”
Hitters who pound hard grounders also post high hard-hit rates. Power shows up in barrel rate and slugging percentage, not this number by itself.