This app is based on the 3D version of Professor Alan Nathan's baseball trajectory
calculator.
Dr. Nathan's research has been instrumental in quantifying the physics that underly baseball.
His calculator and a wealth of resources can be found at the SABR award winner's website.
Technical Details
Default settings of the Baseball Flight Sim are the same as Dr. Nathan's
calculator, including estimates of spin based on launch angle, spray direction, and batter
handedness. A
simulated baseball weighs 5.026 oz., reflecting MLB's 2021 targeted decrease of 2.8 grams.
Catch Probability
The 50% catch zone, rendered as circle on the field, represents the distance that a typical outfielder can cover before a
ball lands. A fielder positioned on the edge of the circle has have a 50% chance of
making a catch. Based on hang time, the distance is derived from
StatCast Catch Probability
and outfielder jump. Keep in mind that it's an aggregate estimate that doesn't account for
fielder ability, direction, ball height, or more difficult catches near walls.
Wind
Wind in a baseball stadium is much more complicated than how it's modeled here.
Direction, strength, and patterns on and above the playing field can be dramatically different
than weather reports and stadium flags.
The way it's modeled here is over-simplified but still informative.
About Kevin Brown
I'm an evolutionary ecologist and former mathlete who's obsessed with sabermetrics. No relation
to the other Kevin Brown (but in 4th grade I did send him a letter).
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or just want to say "hi," feel free to email
me baseballflightsim@gmail.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter @KBrownianMotion
or connect with me on LinkedIn.