"Launch angle is total BS" Wally Backman says analytics and new MLB rules have made the game "soft"

Please god stop listening to these old ass dudes who have no idea what they r talking about

Moron played for the first analytics manager in Davey Johnson but okay

Jesus Christ Wally is a dinosaur and couldn’t remotely work in todays game

I’m fine with launch angle, exit velo and all the other nonsense- for the first 2 strikes. Swing out of your shoes, go ahead. But w/ 2 strikes these guys should be protecting the plate like their pet is sitting in the strike zone. 200 Ks is embarrassing.

Yeah but according to Microsoft Excel he’s gotta pWAR and dWXT and xCTF and zDTF of 35 so he must be really, really good

The Mets have the highest paid, more employees than the Marlins, Phillies and Nats combined in their analytics department. 35-50….and the entire thing is a sh*t stain. Spare me the analytics game. It’s the Hindenburg here. 💥

Every old fat boomer with a mic will tell you that the game sucks today while not putting a single steroid era legend in the hall of fame.

No one teaches “launch angle”. Optimal launch angles are 10-30 degrees. You wanna know what those are? Line drives and fly balls. They’re telling guys to hit line drives and fly balls. The nomenclature might be different, but the principle is the same.

Absolutely 💯 Correct

I totally agree

Imagine if Backman was Sasaki's manager. Sasaki would be back in Japan. You can say all you want about how the old school ways were better, but the fact is they don't work anymore. A GM would be an idiot to hire an old school guy who's not capable of adapting to the current era. Look at KAT and Wiggins. Having a vet being a dick to the young guys might've worked in Jimmy Butler's time, but they didn't work with those guys. It's not about how the game should be played, it's about how it is played.

Hire this man! Now!!!

And he’s 100% correct.. Baseball analytics and launch angle are part of business model that aim for mediocrity and not excellence.

I still wish Wally hadn't had those incidents that made the D-backs rescind their offer to promote him to manager. One DUI related arrest One little arrest related to a domestic incident And that darn bankruptcy Maybe he should have told the team instead of waiting for the New York Times to report it.

Analytics just put numbers to what everyone is thinking about. Velocity? Players have always tried to hit the ball hard. Launch angle? Players have always tried to either hit line drives or HRs. When coaches said "level out your swing" it was about launch angle.

Old heads with their “back in my day” takes, are so exhausting. If you don’t embrace analytics and statistics, you’ll be left behind. Any owner, GM are welcome to try it and see how far it’ll take you- just ask the Angels and Giants

@Yankees_Blue I agree with Wally

There’s a place in baseball for analytics. When you find a way to measure heart count me in. Until then give me all the old school metrics and it tells me enough.

If anyone is dumb enough to think that the Mets with David Stearns or Cohen want anything to do with a blue collar kind of guy like Wally Backman a dinosaur, a relic, a hot head, a guy who isn’t scared to say anything to anybody. He is the last guy that the Mets would ever hire

@shegone03

Great take. Yankee fans cry about this and then go “it’s actually a major positive that we were no hit through six for 3/4 games of this series. The guys are buzzing”

"Launch angle is total BS"

No question it’s BS. Great way to create top spin thereby creating pop ups, fly outs and ground balls.

The first pitch is tied for the 4th highest BA. 3-0, 3-1, 1-0 all better. 2-1 is equal to first pitch. You look back and the 1st pitch has never had the best BA. You look back and players always struggled with 2 strikes. They just make stuff up with these arguments.

Analytics has destroyed baseball

Wally will never get to be Mets manager as long as David Stearns and his analytics clipboard is in charge

He's 100% CORRECT.

Doesnt matter what Wally Backman says. Teams are paying players for it in this new era.

"Analytics is for idiots."

Agree!!!

No one in the modern era of baseball has come close to seeing 5 pitches per AB. League avg is just below 4 pitches. Avg Pitches/AB 2026....3.87 +4.0% 2016.....3.87 2006....3.75 1996.....3.71 Increased pct of non-fastballs probably explains 4% rise in Avg Pitches/AB since 1996.