Fri, 6 Nov, 2026, 01:41 pm
Reported by HEAVY
Ty France hit 21 home runs for the San Diego Padres in 2026, triple his total from the previous season. His free agency now forces San Diego to decide how much to pay for that breakout. He hit the ball harder and pulled more contact in the air, while his overall expected production barely moved.
Baseball Savant’s season data put France’s weighted on-base average at .373 and his expected mark at .327. The 46-point difference frames the contract decision. San Diego can put a price on the contact changes that show up in the data and allow for a lower offensive return if his results move closer to the underlying numbers.
France Made Real Gains in How He Hit the Ball
His average exit velocity rose from 89.5 mph to 91.5 mph. His barrel rate increased from 7.7% to 9.1%, and the share of balls he hit in the air to his pull side climbed from 13.2% to 19.1%. Those changes help explain where the extra power came from.
Pulling more balls in the air gives a hitter additional chances to turn hard contact into extra bases. It also gives the Padres something specific to evaluate in video and scouting. They can look at which pitches France drove and whether he continued getting to them when opponents adjusted.
