I have to post about a new resource I just got turned on to over the weekend: Greg Rybarczyk’s Hit Tracker.  It is a tool that will tell you about how far home runs really went, who hit more homers than they should have, and who underperformed based on weather, stadiums, and luck. You can watch video of every home run, see its path, and get info on wind, altitude, and true distance hit. Wow.

For a great example of how this data can be used in an analysis, read this great article by Chris Jaffe over at the Hardball Times. He explains why Brandon Phillips and David Wright are not really 30 HR guys, and why Gary Sheffield and Carlos Guillen will both probably hit more this year. Definitely worth a read.