Why The 2024 Brewers Offense Is So Dynamic: Line Drives!

[Bashopolis]

What's the difference between the 2023 and 2024 Brewers' offense? Frozen ropes.

Image courtesy of © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Brewers have created a dynamic offense that ranked seventh in Major League Baseball in runs scored in 2024. The biggest difference between this year’s offense and the 2023 team, which ranked 17th in the league in runs, is better outcomes on batted balls in play. The Brewers ranked first in MLB in batting average on balls in play in 2024 with a .316 rate compared to 2023, when their BABIP was .292, which was the eighth worst in the league. 

A significantly higher BABIP leads to the Brewers having the third-best On-Base Percentage (.331) in baseball in 2024 compared to .317 or 22nd ranking in 2023. Can the Brewers maintain this high BABIP? There is a certain level of luck in this statistic, but the Brewers are also making their own luck. Team speed is one factor. The Brewers rank seventh in MLB in infield hits. 

More significantly, the Brewers, as a team, have dedicated themselves to hitting line drives harder rather than focusing on launch angle in 2024. The Brewers rank twenty-ninth in launch angle among the major league teams in 2024. Although the team’s average launch angle is up to 11 degrees from 10.2 degrees in 2023, this has been accomplished through continuing a focus on hitting line drives. 

Two players having breakout seasons are examples of how this approach is working. Blake Perkins went from trying to sell out for home runs with a 14.8% average launch angle and a paltry 29.3 hard hit percentage to remaking his swing to focus on hitting the ball hard on a line. In 2024, Perkins has reduced his average launch angle to 7.5%, is making more hard contact (39%), and has become an above-average offensive center fielder.  

The best example of a player eschewing the launch angle revolution for a line drive approach is Brice Turang. After a pretty dismal 2023 at the plate, Turang has worked to lower his launch angle rather than trying to raise it. His 2023 average launch angle was 12.6%. It is 6.5% this year. With this adjustment, Turang is more often hitting the ball hard. In 2024, 32.4% of balls were in play, compared to 27% in 2023. Turang has increased his OPS by over 150 points.  

The Brewers are second in the league in line drive rate this year (22.3%, 2nd in MLB). This is consistent with the 2023 ranking, during which the Brewers hit line drives 22.2% of batted balls. The 2024 Brewers, while maintaining this emphasis, have reduced fly balls (2024: 24.6% 23rd ranked, 2023: 25.3% 8th ranked) and pop-ups (2024: 6.8% 21st ranked, 2023: 7.2% 8th ranked) rates. 

Through this focus on line drives, the Brewers have increased their percentage of hard-hit balls to 39.8% from 38% in 2023. This team will punish balls they swing at in the zone while maintaining the lowest chase rate in MLB of 25.3%. Combine this with team speed, and there is reason to anticipate that this Brewers team will continue to be one of the best on-base teams in the majors through the rest of the season. For the 2024 Brewers, a strong batting average on balls in play is sustainable and will continue to lead to top-tier run production. 

View full article