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Statcast batter leaders in Week 23 of the 2024 MLB season, according to Barrel%. Joshua Costello evaluates hitters who could be fantasy baseball adds or drops according to advanced sabermetrics.
Hello, RotoBallers, and welcome to our hitter's advanced metrics leaders article for Week 23 of the 2024 fantasy baseball season! Today, we will be taking a look at players like Giancarlo Stanton, Brandon Marsh, Bobby Witt Jr., and more. As another week of baseball wraps up, I will recap which hitters had the most impactful plate appearances in the past few days.
For the first 11 weeks of the season, we discussed Statcast's Barrels per Plate Appearance stat, or Brls/PA%, but now we can transition. The weekly leaderboard for Brls/PA% has primarily stabilized, so now we can shift our focus towards Barrel Percentage in the last seven days.
Statcast's Barrel Percentage stat, or Barrel%, works by dividing the total number of barrels by the number of batted ball events within the given period. The higher the Barrel%, the more often the hitter makes ideal contact with the baseball. By narrowing our range, we can zero in on the players who have made the best and worst contact within the past week. We will also examine other stats, but the Barrel% will be the main focus of this piece. Take advantage of the rest of our Statcast analysis for fantasy baseball, including weekly Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds.
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Barrel% Leaders
| Player | BBE | Avg Exit Velocity (MPH) | Max Exit Velocity (MPH) | Brls | Barrel% | |
| Giancarlo Stanton | 15 | 98.1 | 112.7 | 7 | 46.7 | |
| Brandon Marsh | 12 | 95.5 | 109.4 | 4 | 33.3 | |
| Jhonkensy Noel | 16 | 91.0 | 115.9 | 5 | 31.3 | |
| Aaron Judge | 23 | 96.2 | 107.2 | 7 | 30.4 | |
| Heliot Ramos | 18 | 91.8 | 111.8 | 5 | 27.8 | |
| Triston Casas | 13 | 93.3 | 110.0 | 3 | 23.1 | |
| Ramon Urias | 18 | 90.8 | 107.3 | 4 | 22.2 | |
| Francisco Lindor | 28 | 92.1 | 109.5 | 6 | 21.4 | |
| George Springer | 24 | 90.2 | 107.3 | 5 | 20.8 | |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | 24 | 96.2 | 114.6 | 5 | 20.8 | |
| Anthony Santander | 20 | 90.6 | 103.6 | 4 | 20.0 | |
| Jeremy Pena | 20 | 86.4 | 109.5 | 4 | 20.0 | |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 21 | 90.4 | 113.5 | 4 | 19.0 | |
| Joc Pederson | 16 | 94.0 | 109.4 | 3 | 18.8 | |
| Rhys Hoskins | 16 | 92.0 | 107.2 | 3 | 18.8 | |
| Ian Happ | 22 | 93.4 | 109.3 | 4 | 18.2 | |
| Jackson Merrill | 28 | 92.6 | 110.0 | 5 | 17.9 | |
| Kyle Schwarber | 17 | 94.8 | 112.2 | 3 | 17.6 | |
| Manny Machado | 23 | 95.5 | 111.8 | 4 | 17.4 | |
| Adolis Garcia | 18 | 90.7 | 108.5 | 3 | 16.7 | |
| Jo Adell | 18 | 92.9 | 113.3 | 3 | 16.7 | |
| Pete Crow-Armstrong | 18 | 94.2 | 107.1 | 3 | 16.7 | |
| Taylor Ward | 19 | 90.0 | 107.8 | 3 | 15.8 | |
| Lars Nootbaar | 19 | 93.3 | 109.3 | 3 | 15.8 | |
| James Wood | 19 | 86.1 | 107.8 | 3 | 15.8 | |
Notable Players
This week's leaderboard king is New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton has been mashing balls for many years, so let's see what's special about this season.
The Yankees star hit seven barrels to match Aaron Judge for the most this week, but Stanton did it on eight fewer batted balls. Stanton also had the highest average exit velocity of any hitter on the leaderboard this week.
The 34-year-old is slashing .245/.305/.495 with 23 home runs this season. In the past week, Stanton slashed .350/.458/.800 with three home runs and five RBI in his last 24 plate appearances.
The former Marlin has 96th percentile xSLG, 99th percentile average exit velocity, and 100th percentile Barrel% this season, which means he should continue to mash the long ball despite his below-average whiff and strikeout rates of 33.1% and 29.7%.
Taking the second spot on this week's leaderboard is Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh. Marsh finished the week with a 33.3% Barrel% on 12 batted balls, so let's see what his Statcast profile looks like.
Marsh's profile this season is not dissimilar to Stanton's since both possess elite average exit velocities but struggle in the strikeout department. Marsh's 92.0 mph average exit velocity ranks in the 88th percentile among qualified hitters this year.
The 26-year-old slashed .286/.360/.524 with one home run, four runs scored, and three RBI in the past week. Marsh did not translate those barrels into meaningful counting stats despite being second on the leaderboard.
Marsh has yet to eclipse 12 home runs in a season, so he will likely remain a limited power producer. Marsh's fantasy value is diminished because he does not do any one thing exceptionally well, and his batting average is below average.
It's time to discuss Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. since he has been raking all season, including this past week. The 24-year-old phenom finished the week with a 20.8% Barrel% and was tied for second highest average exit velocity.
The first thing that stands out when looking at Witt's profile is just how red it is across the board. Witt has one of the most impressive Statcast profiles among all qualified hitters this season.
Witt's .347 batting average is pacing the American League this season. His ability to pair contact with power and speed makes him one of the most impactful players in fantasy and real-life baseball.
The Royals shortstop owns a 100th percentile xBA and 99th percentile xwOBA. Witt also has batting, baserunning, and fielding run values in the 98th percentile or higher. Witt is a superstar in every facet of the game, and his performance proves it.
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman struggled at the plate this week. His poor performance is worth highlighting to determine whether we must be concerned about this situation.
In the past seven days, Freeman slashed .130/.200/.217 with one run scored and one RBI in 25 plate appearances. This level of performance is uncharacteristic of Freeman, who has been one of the most solid hitters in the league throughout his career.
Despite the tough week, Freeman's profile shows he is still above average in several categories, including xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, and walk rate. The diminished production over the past week could be attributed to several things.
Performance fluctuates with the ebbs and flows of the season, and the veteran hitter could just be experiencing a slight slump. Freeman has also been dealing with personal issues regarding his son's health, which is likely a contributing factor.
Whatever the case, Freeman is still a rock-solid fantasy asset and among the best hitters in baseball. The Dodgers first baseman will continue anchoring Los Angeles' MVP trio.
The last hitter I want to highlight is Colt Keith. The Detroit Tigers second baseman had a strong week at the plate, which makes him worthy of a spotlight.
Over the past week, Keith slashed .433/.469/.633 with one home run, four runs scored, and seven RBI in 32 plate appearances. Keith was also able to swipe one bag over the past week.
The 23-year-old's Statcast profile is a mixed bag, but it shows us he knows how to hit. Keith's .279 xBA ranks in the 88th percentile among qualified hitters this season.
The Tigers' second baseman does not possess overwhelming power as his average exit velocity, Barrel%, and Hard-Hit% are below average. Despite this, Keith has still managed to hit 12 home runs this season.
Keith is nearly 40% rostered and could be an interesting addition for teams needing help in the batting average department.
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