Interesting numbers. Can you say what average positive induced vertical break is? Fastballs don't rise overall so how is the zero point determined on that?
Hey Seth, great question! This is a topic I want to get to in a future Saturday Study Hall. To put it as simply as possible, induced vertical break attempts to gauge movement WITHOUT gravity so the only effects on the baseball are spin, arm movement/angle, manipulation by the pitcher, etc. Essentially, imagine every pitch thrown starts out at exactly 0-0, in the dead middle, on those tjStats charts I shared. Positive iVB gives a pitch the appearance of "rising" even if that's not what it's doing in reality -- it's simply holding its plane better than other offerings with less iVB.
Here's the definition from Baseball Savant: Induced Movement (or IVB) is reported without gravity, and attempts to isolate movement created by the pitcher's ability to spin and manipulate the ball.
This is interesting. Wonder what a comparison of these numbers to the first two months of the season would look like at Memorial Day.
I’ll be tracking it all year long!
Interesting numbers. Can you say what average positive induced vertical break is? Fastballs don't rise overall so how is the zero point determined on that?
Hey Seth, great question! This is a topic I want to get to in a future Saturday Study Hall. To put it as simply as possible, induced vertical break attempts to gauge movement WITHOUT gravity so the only effects on the baseball are spin, arm movement/angle, manipulation by the pitcher, etc. Essentially, imagine every pitch thrown starts out at exactly 0-0, in the dead middle, on those tjStats charts I shared. Positive iVB gives a pitch the appearance of "rising" even if that's not what it's doing in reality -- it's simply holding its plane better than other offerings with less iVB.
Here's the definition from Baseball Savant: Induced Movement (or IVB) is reported without gravity, and attempts to isolate movement created by the pitcher's ability to spin and manipulate the ball.
Cool. That makes sense. Also I shouldn't be surprised that baseball nerds found a way to work physics into their stats. 😆. I love it!
Can I tell my wife I'm a physicist?