What Do Hitters Actually See?

What do MLB hitters actually see when a pitch is coming at them at 98 mph? Most people think hitters pick up spin — but what if that's too simple an explanation? ______________________________________________ Support me on Substack! https://lancebroz.substack.com/ ______________________________________________ In this deep dive, we break down pitch tunneling, release points, vertical and horizontal release angles, hand position, and the mechanics behind swing decisions to understand what actually drives pitch recognition. This video covers the science and analytics behind what hitters process in the fraction of a second they have to decide whether to swing. Below is a list of some topics we'll hit on: Release points and hand position on different shapes Pitch tunneling and visual deception Why spin might matter less than you think Release angles What info pitcher mechanics give to hitters Gaze tracking research Where hitters are looking ______________________________________________ FanGraphs slow-motion videos were essential to make this video work as I intended. If you aren't already a subscriber to their site, you should be: https://plus.fangraphs.com/product/fa... Eno Sarris' piece from 2016, which was the inspiration for this video, can be found here: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/what-can-... Research study from Japan on release points which I mention within can be found here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/... Max Bay's thread on release angles can be found here: https://x.com/choice_fielder/status/1... Here's an intro to Driveline's Occlusion Score:   / kyle-wasserberger-99521121a_deception-acti...   And here are two other Driveline pieces on gaze tracking: https://www.drivelinebaseball.com/201... https://www.drivelinebaseball.com/202... Follow me on Instagram:   / lancebroz   TikTok:   / lancebroz   X:   / lancebroz   Video and images: MLB, USA Today, Associated Press, MLB.tv 0:00 Let’s Test Your Skills 0:54 Do Hitters See Spin? 3:03 What About Release Points? 5:19 The Key: Release Angles 8:10 Mechanics Matter (A Lot) 9:20 Where Do Hitters Look? 11:44 Gaze Tracking Research 12:59 Summary: What Do Hitters Actually See? 13:40 Check Out My Substack!