Launch Angle Revolution - Justin Turner

Justin Turner (2015)

Launch angle has been talking everywhere. More and more MLB players focus on hitting the ball in the air. Some players change their swings and at the same time, change their careers.

The first time I went to the Dodger stadium was in 2015 and the first run that day was a homerun by Justin Turner in the bottom of the second inning. The ball went deep over the center field. Justin Turner is a good example of the launch angle revolution. The Dodgers signed him to a minor league contract in 2014. He became an everyday player in 2015 and was selected in the 2017 All-Star game.

Launch Angle

Turner’s launch angle against fastballs was 15 degrees in 2015. It was just the beginning and in 2017 the average launch angle against fastballs was reaching to 20 degrees. Even against offspeed pitches, Turner’s launch angle was at 15 degrees in 2017. From 2015 to 2019, Turner’s launch angle against fastballs remained at least 15 degrees. In these 5 seasons, his average launch angle was 17 degrees and the MLB average was 11.2.

Batted Balls

From 2015 to 2018, Justin Turner hit less groundballs gradually. In 2018, less than 30% of batted balls were groundballs. However, there were more groundballs hit by Turner in 2019. But, in total, from 2015 to 2019, 28.9% of Turner’s batted balls were fly balls while the MLB average was 22%. Meanwhile, 30.7% batted balls were line drives and league average was 25.5%. Turner did hit more balls in the air.

Groundball %

Earlier in Turner’s career, he didn’t get many plate appearances and he hit baseballs on the ground. And we see that things have become different since the 2015 season.

Flyball %

Turner didn’t hit baseballs in the air in 2014, the year he signed the contract with the Dodgers. As his launch angle is getting higher, more balls are batted in the air. Particularly in 2017, he truly hit any kinds of pitches in the air.

Line Drive %

2015 was a breakout year for Justin Turner. He hit the ball hard no matter what kinds of pitches. Since then, he has become an important hitter in the lineup.

xwOBA

Justin Turner’s performance has been very consistent with the Dodgers since 2015. We see that his xwOBA against breaking balls went down last 2 seasons. But, he still contributed a lot to the Dodgers lineup.

Turner is a good story of launch angle revolution. He changed his swing and that changes his career. 2020 is the final year of his contract, there’s still no clue if the Dodgers will extend Turner. He’s the clubhouse leader. If he continues to hit the ball in the air, he can do damage and contribute a lot to the Dodgers lineup.