What changed for Griffin Conine.
From 2025 to 2026, Griffin Conine's xSLG moved from 0.566 to 0.793. Here's everything else the data sees that changed.
The swing, launch, and flight
Every path below is a real Statcast batted ball, reconstructed from its exit velocity, launch angle, spray direction, distance, and outcome. Current shape: 85.3 mph average exit velocity, 11.5° average launch angle, 39.3% hard-hit.
This view describes the current-season batted-ball shape. The year-over-year tables below provide the comparison behind the story.
Something has changed for Griffin Conine, now 29, between 2025 and 2026. We went through what the data can actually measure, including contact, plate approach, swing shape, and the results they produce, to separate the signal from the noise. The clearest gain: xSLG moved from 0.566 to 0.793, which now sits in the 97th percentile leaguewide. It hasn't been all one direction. Launch Angle has slipped from 8.8° to 2.7°, but the trade has largely worked so far.
The Results
On the bottom-line production (what it all adds up to), it's a genuine mix. Conine has gained ground on xSLG (0.566→0.793), OPS (0.753→0.838), and xwOBA (0.299→0.378), while slipping on wOBA (0.418→0.402). The net picture is a real shift in profile, not a simple up-or-down.
| Metric | 2025 | 2026 | Change | League now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| xwOBA | 0.299 | 0.378 | ▲ +0.079 | 93th |
| wOBA | 0.418 | 0.402 | ▼ -0.016 | 91th |
| xSLG | 0.566 | 0.793 | ▲ +0.227 | 97th |
| OPS | 0.753 | 0.838 | ▲ +0.086 | 86th |
The biggest move is xSLG, up from 0.566 to 0.793 (+0.227).
Contact Quality
On the quality of contact (how hard and how flush he's hitting the ball), it's a genuine mix. Conine has gained ground on Hard-Hit% (45.9%→53.2%), Barrel% (7.4%→9.4%), and Sweet-Spot% (37.7%→39.0%), while slipping on Exit Velo (90.7 mph→89.4 mph). The net picture is a real shift in profile, not a simple up-or-down.
| Metric | 2025 | 2026 | Change | League now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exit Velo | 90.7 mph | 89.4 mph | ▼ -1.3 | 54th |
| Barrel% | 7.4% | 9.4% | ▲ +2.0 pts | 91th |
| Hard-Hit% | 45.9% | 53.2% | ▲ +7.3 pts | 94th |
| Sweet-Spot% | 37.7% | 39.0% | ▲ +1.3 pts | 78th |
The biggest move is Exit Velo, down from 90.7 mph to 89.4 mph (-1.3).
Plate Approach
On his approach at the plate (what he swings at and how often he misses), it's a genuine mix. Conine has gained ground on BB% (8.3%→8.6%), while slipping on Chase% (27.0%→36.1%), Whiff% (32.1%→36.8%), and K% (29.6%→29.7%). The net picture is a real shift in profile, not a simple up-or-down.
| Metric | 2025 | 2026 | Change | League now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase% | 27.0% | 36.1% | ▼ +9.1 pts | 18th |
| Whiff% | 32.1% | 36.8% | ▼ +4.6 pts | 1th |
| K% | 29.6% | 29.7% | ▼ +0.1 pts | 11th |
| BB% | 8.3% | 8.6% | ▲ +0.3 pts | 44th |
The biggest move is Chase%, up from 27.0% to 36.1% (+9.1 pts).
Swing & Batted-Ball Shape
On his swing and batted-ball shape (the mechanical fingerprint behind the changes above), it's a genuine mix. Conine has gained ground on Swing Length (7.5 ft→7.4 ft) and Pull% (50.8%→58.4%), while slipping on Launch Angle (8.8°→2.7°), Bat Speed (72.7 mph→71.6 mph), and Oppo% (29.5%→11.7%). The net picture is a real shift in profile, not a simple up-or-down.
| Metric | 2025 | 2026 | Change | League now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Angle | 8.8° | 2.7° | ▼ -6.1 | 1th |
| Pull% | 50.8% | 58.4% | ▲ +7.6 pts | 98th |
| Oppo% | 29.5% | 11.7% | ▼ -17.8 pts | 0th |
| Ground-Ball% | 49.2% | 53.2% | ▼ +4.1 pts | 5th |
| Bat Speed (2024+) | 72.7 mph | 71.6 mph | ▼ -1.1 | 70th |
| Swing Length (2024+) | 7.5 ft | 7.4 ft | ▲ -0.1 | 32th |
The biggest move is Launch Angle, down from 8.8° to 2.7° (-6.1).
The takeaway
Bottom line: between 2025 and 2026, this is more a change in shape than a clean rise or fall. Conine is doing some things better and some worse, and the results sit in the middle of that tug-of-war. It's worth re-checking as the sample grows, but the direction is already readable in the numbers.
How to read this
- Sample sizes are modest (2025 108 PA, 2026 128 PA), so read the magnitude of these changes with some caution.
- This compares what the data can measure (contact, approach, swing and batted-ball shape). Stance, hand position, and leg-kick changes are not in the public data and are not claimed here.