In the Rangers’ 6-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, Evan Carter accomplished a few rare feats. Notably, his diving catch to prevent Jared Kelenic from securing a base hit in the second inning does not fall under this category. Similar plays have occurred once or twice before in his career.
However, let’s rewind a bit for the sake of narrative. Carter ended a career dry spell of 0-for-20 against left-handed pitchers when he managed to secure an infield single off southpaw Tyler Matzek in the eighth inning. Yet, prior to that, in the fourth inning, he launched a two-run home run spanning 398 feet against starting pitcher Darius Vines.
A home run by Carter against a right-handed pitcher is not particularly unusual. However, what stood out was the 31-degree launch angle with which it soared out of Truist Park. This matched the highest launch angle he had ever recorded on a home run in his early major league career. The only other instance was a 421-foot two-run home run against Seattle’s Eduard Bazardo last September, which also boasted a launch angle of 31 degrees.
Carter, ranked as the Rangers’ second-best prospect, demonstrates a knack for hitting line-drive home runs. This conclusion is drawn from his limited 43-game major league experience. In this time, he has hit nine home runs, averaging a launch angle of 24.7 degrees. Interestingly, the majority of these home runs, two-thirds to be precise, have been hit with launch angles below that average mark.
That’s a rather low launch angle for someone who’s hit as many home runs as Carter has since his MLB debut. Don’t feel bad if you were unaware.
“I don’t really pay attention to it,” Carter said last week in Detroit. “It’s just my swing, I guess? I don’t pay much attention to it.”
It’s time for a brief physics lesson. The ideal launch angle and speed for a home run is considered to be between 25 and 30 degrees with an exit velocity of at least 100-plus mph. Adolis García hit 39 home runs last season at an average launch angle of 27.8 degrees. Corey Seager’s 33 blasts left at an average of 28 degrees. Marcus Semien’s 29 home runs yielded an average launch angle of 29.1 degrees.
One of Carter’s nine career home runs (including the postseason) meets that ideal threshold. His third career home run off of Seattle’s Bryce Miller last Sep. 22 came at a 30-degree angle. The caveat, most launch angle theorists note, is that the numbers are a generalization and aren’t necessarily applicable to each player’s individual swing.
That may be of interest to Carter, whose 2-for-4 night vs. Atlanta on Sunday helped break a 1-for-18 skid that he’d been on since last Monday’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers.
“I just want to hit it hard,” Carter said. “I don’t care where it comes from, I just want to hit it hard.”
“Hit it hard enough at the right spot of the field and it’ll get out, I guess?” Carter said. “I don’t know. I’m not up there trying to hit the ball to the moon, I’m just trying to hit it hard. Some of them, I guess, go out at the right launch, if you want to say.”
Since Carter debuted with the Rangers on Sept. 9, 2023, only one player leaguewide has hit more home runs than he has off of a lower average launch angle: The Mets’ Pete Alonso has hit 10 (with an average launch angle of 23.9) in that span, according to Baseball Savant.