In 310 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks last season, VanMeter had a .212/.297/.354 slash line. He was, however, able to draw walks at a rate of 10.6 percent.
VanMeter’s walk rate was over 10.5 percent for the second time in three MLB seasons (11.2 percent in 2019). A hitter’s walk rate per tenth of his plate appearances is deemed above average.
Last season, VanMeter’s average exit velocity was 89.3 MPH. This was a whole MPH faster than the league average, putting him in the 71st percentile for average exit velocity in baseball.
He also had a 36.8 percent hard-hit percentage, which was better than the league average.
VanMeter is no stranger to slamming the ball hard. VanMeter has an average exit velocity of 89.6 MPH in his MLB career, and he has never had an average exit velocity below 89 MPH.
His 37.3 percent career hard-hit rate is 2% higher than the league average. In fact, his hard-hit rate of 36.8 percent last season was the lowest of his career.
VanMeter has a lifetime slash line of .212/.300/.364 with a 75 wRC+, but there appears to be some untapped potential in his bat.
VanMeter can be a valuable bench piece for the Pirates this season if he continues to hit the ball hard and draws walks at a rate above league average.
While the deal may have appeared to be a bit perplexing at first glance, it’s simple to see why the team was interested in VanMeter.
How Tall Is Josh VanMeter?
Josh VanMeter’s height is 1.8 m.