Alek Manoah's fastball is even better than you think

Vertical-approach angle (VAA) is a hot topic in baseball, as it helps us understand why some pitchers are successful in certain parts of the zone despite lackluster pitch movement data. Alek Manoah, a recent Blue Jays call-up, has a four-seam fastball that stands out on VAA leaderboards, suggesting the pitch may perform better in certain parts of the zone than we would otherwise expect. So let's dig into what VAA is, why it's useful and why it could help add context to Manoah's success despite modest vertical and horizontal movement on his four-seam fastball. Pitch movement information is from Alex Chamberlain's Pitch Leaderboard. You can download his pitch movement information, which converts from the Baseball Savant-style numbers and mimics one-for-one, the information major league organizations use internally: https://public.tableau.com/profile/ch... CREDITS: Music: www.bensound.com Stats: FanGraphs, Baseball Savant All other footage (including in-game highlights): MLB.tv, MLB.com, property of MLB Follow me on Twitter: @LanceBroz