As the most advanced tools, data, and content site in DFS, FantasyLabs is committed to providing the best of the best in every aspect of what we do. It’s very important to me, personally, that we offer the most premium tools, the best analysis, the fastest and most advanced news…and of course the most cutting-edge data.
That’s why we’ve added something amazing for the 2016 MLB season – something no other daily fantasy site has (and very few sites in general have access to) – advanced pitch-by-pitch data, including:
- Batted Ball Velocity, Trajectory, and Distance
- Hard Hit Percentages
- Batted Ball Profiles (FB%, GB%, and LD%)
- Air Time
- Pitch Velocity and Location
- Strike Ratios
- Lots of Other Cool Shit
I think this is going to be a difference-maker for FantasyLabs and the daily fantasy baseball community as a whole. Batted ball and pitch velocities, in particular, are stats that have significantly grown in popularity within Major League Baseball over the past few years; in fact, the company with whom we’ve partnered to get this data (on the pitch level) provides it to 23 MLB teams.
Here’s a look at what you’ll be able to see in Player Models:
We’ve sorted the data into periods of past 15 days and running 12 months, which should help differentiate between recent performance and long-term talent.
We’ve also secured historical data, meaning FantasyLabs users can now model it; yes, we have sliders for things like batted ball distance and velocity differentials, hard hit percentages, and a lot more.
Before I just blab on about this data because I’m so pumped about it, let me create a more succinct list of why this is a huge upgrade for FantasyLabs and our customers.
Advantages to Our Advanced MLB Data
This is why you should be excited…
1. Most Innovative Data in Baseball
As I said, we’re committed to giving you the most cutting-edge possible data. It’s been a challenge for many people to find reliable advanced batted ball and pitch velocity data.
Not only do we have it, but you can test it and model with it to create better DFS lineups.
2. Better Understand Recent Play
With batters, especially, it’s very difficult to trust recent performance just because there’s so much noise; a guy could hit four shots to the warning track and five line drives right at defenders over a few games, and even his advanced stats like wOBA and ISO will look poor.
The only way to truly determine how well a batter is swinging the bat is to quantify how hard and far he’s hitting the ball. By looking at the differential numbers we’ve created – which compare recent data to a player’s long-term numbers – we can get a sense of who is actually hitting the ball well, regardless of their recent fantasy production.
Since the crowd tends to fade “cold” players, our advanced data is an opportunity to not only acquire optimal value, but also a large edge.
3. Research Ability
Of course, we’ve added all of the data to our Trends product. Here’s a look at a quick trend I created showing value for pitchers who are throwing the ball faster than normal of late:
The ability to test your beliefs – and to do it against historical DFS pricing – is something unique to FantasyLabs. Unlike other sites, we don’t want you to just take our word for it; get in there and test stuff for yourself.
4. Better News
If you’ve used our NBA product or follow FantasyLabsNBA on Twitter, you know we offer the fastest updates and analysis in daily fantasy basketball.
Justin Phan – who runs our NBA product and doesn’t sleep – is going to be heading up our new MLB news offering. That means we’re going to have the fastest lineup updates, the quickest reaction to late scratches, and of course the best data-driven analysis in daily fantasy baseball.
Our MLB News page will do what other sites simply can’t do because they don’t have the data; it will quantify news, and do it in an actionable way. When the wind is blowing out at Wrigley at X speed or a pitcher’s velocity is down 2 mph over his past two starts, we’ll not only point that out, but also examine DFS-specific ramifications using our historical data.
Getting excited about MLB yet?
5. Not Priced Into DFS Salaries
As mentioned, the crowd isn’t using this sort of advanced data to select players, so it isn’t a component of ownership in tournaments. DFS sites also aren’t using it to price players, meaning there’s plenty of value in emphasizing it.
I’ve talked about this in the past – why focusing on “small” things can mean all the difference in DFS – and our advanced batted ball and pitch data is the ultimate example of finding an edge.
6. Create Better Models, Win More Money
Just displaying this data would be cool, but not cool enough. We want you to be able to perform research, build trends, create models, and ultimately make better lineups. We’re very confident this new data – as unique and cutting-edge as it is – will help you do that.
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FantasyLabs is the most innovative daily fantasy site in the world for a reason; we push the envelope. We’re committed to continually improving our product – in every possible way – and this new advanced MLB data is another big step in accomplishing our goal of helping you create the best possible DFS lineups.
