Spin Efficiency- What is it and Why Does it Matter?

 Spin Efficiency

by: Adam Jeannette

What is it? 

    -Spin rate is a common word used in modern-day baseball broadcasts. With devices around the world such as Rapsodo, Trackman, Pitch Logic, Diamond Kinectics and Hawkeye, data on different pitches is available to players and fans now more than ever before. "Spin rate" has become a buzzword of some sort, with announcers raving about it every chance they get. Often times, these announcers do not entirely understand the meaning behind spin rate and how it affects different pitches. This is where spin efficiency comes into the equation. Spin efficiency is the amount of spin inflicted on a pitch which is used. I know this may sound confusing, but I promise you it is not. For example, if Jacob DeGrom throws a fastball at 2500 RPMs with 50% spin efficiency, only 50% of that spin is useful for affecting movement characteristics of the pitch. The other 50% of spin that is not useful is characterized as gyro spin, which simply means sideways spin versus true backspin or top spin. This can be referred to as "cutting" the ball as well. 



Why does it matter? 

    -Now that I have covered what spin rate is, I will dive into why it is important. If a fastball has lower spin efficiency, this can impact both vertical and horizontal movement on the pitch. Depending on the location, this can be the difference between a swing and miss or a homer. In today's game, the high fastball has gained a ton of popularity among pitchers in the MLB. The reason for this is a high fastball with a spin axis between 12 and 1 o' clock, and an efficient, high spin rate is nearly irresistible to batters. Although it is impossible to throw a "rising" fastball, it is possible to make the ball appear to rise with a high, efficient spin rate that causes the ball to ride through the zone longer from the hitter's perspective. Since batters are used to the "average" fastball that would fall more due to gravity, they often chase high fastballs that have above average carry through the zone. This carry is very much attributed to spin efficiency. 

Is More Efficiency Always Better? 

    -Although more spin efficiency is normally better for the majority of pitches, it is not always the case. Certain pitches thrive off lower efficiency. Examples of this includes gyro sliders and knuckleballs. A gyro slider is meant to be thrown with as much gyro as possible. Devices such as Rapsodo measure the gyro degree on each pitch which can help with designing this pitch. The highest degree of gyro possible is 90 so when throwing a gyro slider, the pitch should have as close to this as possible. With more gyro in a pitch comes less spin efficiency. With the knuckleball, you want little spin efficiency since the grip is killing spin from the release onward. 


How Can Spin Efficiency be Improved? 

    -There are many methods to improving spin efficiency. An old way of doing it was having pitchers play catch with hockey pucks. If the puck has true backspin out of their hand, they are staying behind the ball well and limiting gyro spin. If the ball wobbles during its flight, the pitcher has cut the ball creating unwanted gyro spin. A unique tool created by a company named "Clean Fuego" is meant to mimic the hockey puck's shape but with seams that feel similar to an actual baseball. This along with colored sides help pitchers work on spin efficiency by having a visible aid to notice changes in efficiency with the naked eye.  

                             

 

Conclusion

    -Spin efficiency can have multiple effects on different pitches. Understanding when more efficiency is beneficial can help pitchers improve their arsenal as well as help coach's aid in these improvements. With all the data out there in today's modern game of baseball, it is important to understand the basics or else it can seem a bit overwhelming. I hope this post helps you understand better what spin efficiency is and how it is useful in today's game. 

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