Over the last few years, Jacob Young has turned into quite a valuable piece for the Nationals after being a relatively unheralded prospect. As a player with elite speed and defense, he has helped the team, but he has never been a star. Recently, though, Young has developed a power stroke and has provided more offensive value to the team. The right-handed hitting outfielder already has eight home runs this season. Before this season, Young only had five Major League home runs in his career.Â
Young’s most notable offensive adjustment this season has been an increase in his launch angle sweet spot percentage. Launch angle sweet spot percentage measures the percentage of the time that a player hits a ball with a launch angle between eight percent and 32 percent. Batted balls with these launch angles are usually line drives or fly balls with a higher probability of being an extra base hit.
Last year, Young’s LA Sweet Spot Percentage was 27.9 percent which was in the third percentile of all qualified players. This season, Young’s LA sweet spot percentage has jumped to 37.4 percent which is in the 75th percentile of qualified players. Overall, Young is dramatically hitting the ball in the air at an optimal angle which is leading to more extra base hits.
Another notable improvement for Young has been an increase in his bat speed. Last season, his average bat speed was 68.3 miles per hour. This season his average bat speed has been 69.6 miles per hour. Young’s bat speed is still below average for Major League hitters. However, any improvement in bat speed can lead to more power and extra base hits. For Young, this has been the case.
Young, this year, has still been a below average Major League hitter. His OPS plus this year is 93, which is below average for Major League hitters. Still, this is a major improvement from his 81 career OPS plus and 67 OPS plus last season. With his other elite defensive and base running skills, Young does not need to be an elite hitter to provide value to the Nationals.
He still, though, needs to be a competent hitter. With his offensive adjustments, Young has been able to become this. He is an important piece for the Nationals, and his offensive surge has been an important factor in the Nationals developing one of the best offenses in baseball. To build a successful ball club, players like Young need to contribute on both sides of the ball.
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