PLV statistics were introduced last year, so they are still relatively new. That said, we are now deep enough into the 2024 season to make year-over-year comparisons, analyze which players have improved the most since 2023, and see whether their traditional stats align with their PLV growth. Below are seven players who’ve taken the most significant leaps in various PLV categories.
To qualify, each player needed to hit a pitches thrown or pitches seen threshold in both seasons. We delved into five categories for hitters: strike zone judgment, decision value, contact ability, power, and hitter performance. We focused on PLV for pitchers but expanded it to two players: one starter and one reliever. Below are our leaders, along with their YOY stat lines, beginning with our hurlers.
PLV Starting Pitcher: Tanner Houck
After a promising start to his career, Tanner Houck had a rough transition to being a full-time starter in 2023. With an ERA over 5.00, it looked like he may be better suited to the bullpen. However, he’s turned it around this season, with an ERA bordering on top-ten in the American League. Houck has cut his walk rate down by one per nine without sacrificing strikeouts. He’s jumped from a league-average PLV to one of the best in MLB among starters.
Houck abandoned his unproductive four-seamer this season and, for the most part, his cutter. He’s primarily relied on his slider, sinker, and splitter, mixing in an occasional sweeper. All four pitches have been excellent for him, especially his splitter and slider, against which opponents are hitting around .200.
PLV Reliever: Michael Kopech
Michael Kopech moved from the bullpen to the rotation in 2022 and began his career as a starter on a positive note. However, things fell apart in 2023 as the fireballer’s ERA ballooned to 5.43, and he struggled to throw strikes, walking 6.3 batters per nine innings. This season, the Chisox moved him back to the pen, and the results have been tremendous, particularly since being traded to the Dodgers at the deadline. Kopech has a 0.55 ERA and WHIP in Los Angeles, and his K/BB% has risen from 2.46 in Chicago to 5.0.
Moving to the pen has allowed Kopech to ditch his subpar curveball and change this season and allowed him to focus on what he does best – throw heaters. Kopech’s four-seamer averages 98.7 mph this season vs. 95.2 mph last year as a starter. That extra juice and the fact that he’s throwing it for strikes more often have elevated his fastball to elite status. Batters are whiffing against it 34% of the time, and his 34% CSW% on the pitch ranks in the 92nd percentile.
Strikezone Judgement: William Contreras
William Contreras broke out in 2023, his first season in Milwaukee, and hasn’t slowed down. His stats are very similar year-over-year as he’s become one of the best offensive catchers in MLB. Contreras’s production was elevated by a .348 BABIP last season, which has dropped to .324 in 2024. Yet, he’s a better hitter despite the similar output. His Statcast numbers are up across the board as his HC%, Barrel%, and Ideal Contact Rate have improved dramatically.
In terms of strike recognition, Contreras has gone from average in 2023 to one of the best in baseball this season. He began the year hot, slashing .323/.394/.502 through May. He slumped in June but turned it on again in August, batting .295 with nine HRs and 23 RBI. The Brewers’ catcher is a big reason why their offense has scored the fourth-most runs in the NL this year.
Decision Value: George Springer
When you look at his output, it’s hard to imagine George Springer has improved in any statistical category this season. His .219/.303/. 381 slash line has him on track to post the worst season of his career. However, his underlying numbers paint the picture of a player whose approach hasn’t changed. His K% is only slightly elevated, and his BB% is up. His SwStr% and CSW% are in line with his career norms. He’s not hitting the ball quite as hard as usual, but the biggest culprit to his poor performance appears to be a .238 BABIP, one of the worst in baseball.
Springer had a very strong 117 DV last year and elevated it to among the best in baseball in 2024 despite a horrific August in which he hit .165 with a .607 OPS. At nearly 35 years old, Springer’s best days are likely behind him, but keep the faith, Blue Jays fans; he appears poised for a better 2025.
Contact Ability: Tyler Stephenson
Tyler Stephenson struggled in 2023 after an injury-plagued 2022 in which he was limited to 50 games. He slashed a career-low .243/.317/.378 and struck out in over a quarter of his plate appearances. He started 2024 strong, but a mid-season slump had him hitting .245 at the All-Star break, and the promise he showed early in his career looked like a mirage. In August, everything changed. Stephenson slugged seven dingers and drove in 19 last month while hitting .330/.402/.637, and has continued to rake in September.
Ironically, his uptick coincides with a drop in his contact ability rating, which flew high over the first half of the season after a well-below-average rank in 2023. For the season, Stephenson has improved in his ability to put the bat on the ball in every category, increasing his Con% from 71.6% to 78.7%, his Z-Con% from 82.8% to 90.5%, and his O-Con% from 48.8% to 54.6%. With his increase in production has come a rise in strikeouts, indicating that despite the praise we’re giving him for improving his contact ability, he may be finding more success taking his hacks.
Power: Juan Soto
The fact that one of the most powerful hitters in baseball tops the list of most improved in this category is scary. After all, it’s not like Juan Soto had a power outage in 2023. He hit 35 HRs and had a .244 ISO and a .930 OPS. Getting out of the pitcher-friendly Petco Park and hitting alongside Aaron Judge this season has agreed with him. Soto has already surpassed his homer total from last season and is putting up his highest ISO numbers since the short 2020 campaign. Soto has long been one of the best in MLB at getting on base, and now he’s taken his power profile from excellent to elite. Only Judge and Ohtani have a higher PLV power rating than the Yankees outfielder.
The charts below show similar up and down patterns, only at a much higher bar. Soto’s Barrel % has jumped from 13.1% last year to 18.6%, and his launch angle has increased dramatically. He’s still the same patient hitter but is squaring the ball up and destroying it better than ever. With free agency looming, the superstar is set to cash in.
Hitter Performance: Brenton Doyle
Brenton Doyle’s career got off to a miserable start last year. He struck out at an alarming rate, rarely walked, and slugged only ten HRs despite playing half his games in Coors Field. This season, he looks like a completely different hitter. In addition to his .271/.332/.472 slash line, Doyle has slugged 22 homers, stolen 26 bags, and driven in 66 runs. He’s lowered his K-rate to an acceptable level and is drawing more walks. The Rockies’ center fielder is beginning to look like a keeper.
After posting one of the lowest HPs in MLB last season, Doyle has skyrocketed to a 110 rating thus far in 2024, making him the epitome of “most improved.” The light really turned on in July when he slugged 11 HRs and hit .333/.394/.800. Doyle will probably fall short of the 30/30 club this season, but if he can continue to improve, he could turn into a fantasy baseball darling and a top-of-the-order bat for Colorado.
