Every season, a handful of players stand out not because of their batting average or ERA, but because of what their underlying Statcast data says about their true talent level. Metrics like average exit velocity, barrel rate, expected slugging, whiff rate, and chase percentage often reveal which players are truly dominating and which ones are due for regression.
Heading into the 2026 season, the Yankees feature a core group of players whose Statcast profiles suggest elite performance or sustainable production. These are the Yankees whose underlying metrics pop off the page.
Aaron Judge – Still Producing Historic Contact Quality
Aaron Judge remains the gold standard for power hitters in the Statcast era. Even as he moves deeper into his 30s, his batted-ball profile still looks like something out of a video game.
2025 Statcast metrics:
- Average exit velocity: 95.4 mph
- Hard-hit rate: 58.2%
- Barrel rate: 24.7%
- xSLG: .721
- xwOBA: .460
Those numbers placed Judge in the 99th percentile across nearly every major power category. For context, the league-average exit velocity typically sits around 88–89 mph, and the average barrel rate is near 7–8 percent. Judge more than triples that mark. Even if his home run total fluctuates from year to year, the underlying metrics confirm the same truth: he still hits the ball harder than anyone in baseball.
Statcast takeaway: Judge’s production isn’t luck driven, it’s built on the most dominant contact quality in the sport.
Cody Bellinger – Sustainable Production Through Contact Quality
Cody Bellinger’s resurgence in recent seasons hasn’t just shown up in traditional stats. His Statcast page reflects a hitter who has rebuilt his swing path and approach into something far more efficient.
2025 underlying metrics:
- xBA: .281
- xSLG: .487
- Hard-hit rate: 44.1%
- Sweet-spot rate: 36%
- Strikeout rate: below league average
While Bellinger is no longer the extreme barrel-rate monster he was during his MVP season, his current profile is more stable and contact oriented. His expected stats closely match his actual production, suggesting his performance is sustainable rather than luck-driven.
Statcast takeaway: Bellinger’s balanced contact profile gives the Yankees a reliable, analytically sound middle-of-the-order bat.
Giancarlo Stanton – Still Among the Hardest Hitters Alive
Even in the later stages of his career, Giancarlo Stanton remains one of the most intimidating Statcast hitters in the game. His bat speed and exit velocities are still elite, even if injuries have impacted his playing time.
2025 Statcast snapshot:
- Average exit velocity: 93.1 mph
- Hard-hit rate: 54.8%
- Barrel rate: 18.9%
- Max exit velocity: 119+ mph
- xSLG: .565
Despite fluctuations in traditional stats, Stanton’s expected slugging and barrel rates remain well above league average. When he connects, the ball still leaves the bat as hard as almost anyone in baseball.
Statcast takeaway: Few hitters can still produce Stanton’s combination of exit velocity and barrel frequency. If he stays healthy, the underlying metrics suggest impact power is still very real.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. – Explosive Tools Show Up Everywhere
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is one of the most dynamic athletes in baseball, and his Statcast profile reflects that versatility. He combines power, speed, and aggression into a unique offensive package.
2025 Statcast metrics:
- Average exit velocity: 91.2 mph
- Barrel rate: 12.8%
- xSLG: .492
- Sprint speed: 29.5 ft/sec (95th percentile)
- Hard-hit rate: 46%
For a middle infielder, those are outstanding power indicators. Add in elite sprint speed, and Chisholm becomes a Statcast standout across multiple categories.
Statcast takeaway: Few players impact the game in as many measurable ways for power, speed, and run creation as Chisholm.
Max Fried – Elite Contact Suppression and Run Prevention
Max Fried doesn’t rely on overpowering velocity. Instead, his Statcast success is built on elite command, ground-ball tendencies, and weak contact.
2025 Statcast indicators:
- Average exit velocity allowed: 86.3 mph
- Hard-hit rate allowed: 32.1%
- Ground-ball rate: 54%
- xERA: 3.12
- Barrel rate allowed: 5.1%
Fried consistently ranks among the league leaders in soft contact and ground ball percentage, making him one of the most reliable run prevention starters in baseball. His curveball remains one of the most effective breaking pitches in the sport, generating high chase and whiff rates while keeping hitters off balance.
Statcast takeaway: Fried’s ability to suppress hard contact and keep the ball on the ground makes him an analytically strong frontline starter.
Camilo Doval – Elite Velocity and Ground-Ball Dominance
Camilo Doval brings some of the most electric raw stuff in the Yankees’ bullpen. His Statcast page reflects a closer with overpowering velocity and elite movement.
2025 Statcast metrics:
- Average sinker velocity: 100.2 mph
- Ground-ball rate: 62%
- Chase rate: 34%
- xERA: 2.61
- Barrel rate allowed: 3.8%
Doval’s combination of triple-digit velocity and heavy movement makes it extremely difficult for hitters to square him up. His elite ground-ball rate helps limit damage even when contact is made.
Statcast takeaway: Few relievers combine this level of velocity, movement, and contact suppression.
David Bednar – Swing-and-Miss Specialist
David Bednar’s profile is built on one core skill: missing bats in high leverage situations. His fastball and splitter combination generates elite whiff rates.
2025 Statcast indicators:
- Strikeout rate: 31.4%
- Whiff rate: 32%
- Chase rate: 33%
- xERA: 2.88
- Opponent xSLG: .327
Bednar consistently ranks among the top relievers in swing-and-miss metrics. His ability to generate chases outside the zone and finish hitters with his splitter gives him a strong expected run-prevention profile.
Statcast takeaway: Elite whiff and strikeout numbers back up his status as a late inning weapon.
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