Introducing xBBI: Another Analytic For The Common Man
A Blog By Dean
As you know, I created a new analytic about two weeks ago to simplify all the Savant stats that you see on X and Instagram all the time. If you haven’t seen it, click below and then come back to this blog.
I Created A New Baseball Analytic
Editors Note: BBI, ABBI, and BBI+ are original statistical models developed by The Skipper’s View. Please credit skippsviewdean when referencing or republishing these metrics.
After I introduced my stat, I was flooded with messages of support, critique, suggestions, and financial offers. One of them, was to have an expected stat. Personally, I am very against expected stats, I purposely left out all expected analytics from my own. However, I am a man of the people, so I caved.
Below is the explanation as to what xBBI is and how it is calculated. Confused? Same. I worked with a coder to come up with the calculations and had Chat GPT and Bolt run it. Very soon, I will be debuting a website where you can see all qualified players and their BBI, ABBI, BBI+, and xBBI. Everything is scaled 0-10 for simplicity.
After the calculations, I give you five players who have very different BBI and xBBI numbers. It is all broken down so you can see what stats we are pulling from.
Enjoy!
How is xBBI Calculated?
xBBI is built from 7 core components, each selected to reflect either quality of contact or plate discipline:
Contact Quality Metrics
Exit Velocity (EV)
Barrel %
Hard Hit %
Sweet Spot %
Plate Discipline Metrics (inversely normalized)
Strikeout % (K%)
Whiff %
O-Swing Miss % (Misses on swings outside the strike zone)
Normalization Process
Each stat is min-max normalized onto a 0–10 scale, where:
Higher values are better for contact metrics (e.g., higher EV or Barrel % = better).
Lower values are better for plate discipline metrics (e.g., lower K% = better), so they are inversely normalized:
Final Formula
Each metric contributes equally (1/7 of the total).
Hitters With Big xBBI Gaps
1. Luis Arraez
xBBI: 5.7
BBI: 2.3
What’s boosting xBBI:
Elite K% (100th percentile) — only 1.9%
Elite Whiff % (100th percentile) — makes tons of contact
Excellent Sweet Spot %: 85th percentile — consistently ideal contact
Squared-Up %: 100th percentile — makes flush contact often
What’s dragging down BBI:
Barrel %: 1st percentile (0.4%) — essentially zero impactful barrels
Hard Hit %: 1st percentile (17.4%) — very little power
xSLG & xwOBA both bottom-tier — expected production is limited
Exit Velocity: 2nd percentile — soft contact average (85.0 mph)
Summary: Arraez is the definition of elite bat control with no punch. xBBI rewards him for swing skill and discipline, but BBI penalizes his zero-impact contact.
2. Adley Rutschman
xBBI: 5.3
BBI: 3.0
What’s boosting xBBI:
Barrel %: 51st percentile — solid quality contact
xwOBA: 76th percentile — solid underlying offensive profile
K%: 81st percentile (15.9%) — excellent bat-to-ball ability
Whiff %: 96th percentile — rarely swings through pitches
Chase %: 97th percentile — elite plate discipline
What’s holding down BBI:
Hard Hit %: 29th percentile — lower impact on balls in play
Bat Speed: 26th percentile — hints at possible limited power ceiling
Early 2025 SLG just .338 — limits his BBI scoring via slugging/HR/SLG routes
Summary: Adley is a high-IQ hitter with elite vision and contact. His xBBI reflects his process; his BBI suffers from lower slugging output.
3. Nico Hoerner
xBBI: 4.9
BBI: 2.1
What’s boosting xBBI:
K%: 98th percentile (9.1%) — elite contact rate
Whiff %: 99th percentile — almost never swings and misses
Sweet Spot %: 53rd percentile — league-average launch angles
Squared-Up %: 98th percentile — makes precise contact
xBA: 78th percentile — quality batted-ball outcomes despite low EV
What’s dragging down BBI:
Barrel %: 5th percentile (1.4%) — very little damaging contact
Hard Hit %: 8th percentile (29.3%) — low EV despite clean swings
Exit Velocity: 16th percentile (87.1 mph) — soft contact
xSLG & xwOBA: ~20th percentile — not driving results
Summary: Hoerner’s xBBI is propped up by elite bat control and swing discipline, but his BBI is crippled by almost nonexistent power. He’s a high-floor, low-ceiling hitter.
4. J.P. Crawford
xBBI: 4.8
BBI: 3.1
What’s boosting xBBI:
Sweet Spot %: 87th percentile (great launch angles)
K%: 54th percentile (20.5%) — respectable contact skills
Whiff %: 78th percentile — avoids swing-and-miss
Chase %: 73rd percentile — solid plate discipline
BB%: 88th percentile (13.9%) — excellent OBP asset
What’s dragging down BBI:
Hard Hit %: 30th percentile (38.0%) — not enough loud contact
Exit Velo: 21st percentile (87.8 mph) — weak average impact
Barrel %: 37th percentile (7.4%) — slightly below average
xSLG: 44th percentile (.415) — modest expected power
Summary: Crawford’s xBBI is carried by his discipline, swing control, and launch angle efficiency. His BBI is held back by limited raw power and low EVs.
5. Alec Bohm
xBBI: 5.7
BBI: 3.1
What’s boosting xBBI:
Hard Hit %: 82nd percentile — excellent contact authority
Exit Velocity: 74th percentile — strong average EV (91.2 mph)
Sweet Spot %: 64th percentile — efficient launch angle consistency
Barrel %: 51st percentile — solid, though not elite
Whiff %: 92nd percentile (low whiff) — exceptional swing-and-miss control
K%: 72nd percentile (17.6%) — well above average plate coverage
What’s holding down BBI:
Low BB%: 7th percentile — drags OBP down
Underwhelming power outcomes in 2025 — just 1 HR, SLG at .322
Summary: Bohm’s swing quality and discipline are excellent, but BBI is hurt by a lack of walks and limited slugging production early in the season.
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