One metric that is currently being used at the highest levels of baseball and softball that has trickled down into the high school and youth levels is a hitter’s exit velocity, or the speed of the baseball or softball off the bat. Exit velocity is measured using a radar gun and is the only direct measure of the power behind a hit.

Studies have shown that for every extra one mile-per-hour added to exit velocity, the ball will travel an estimated four to six feet further, depending on its trajectory and launch angle. That means exit velocity has a direct effect on whether a player has warning track power or home run power, if they can drive the ball into the gaps for extra-base hits, and if they can hit the ball hard enough to put more pressure on the defense and slow down their reaction time.