Associations Between Anthropometrics, Physical Determinants, and Batting Exit Speed in Elite Female Baseball Athletes

Tremblay, M, Prunault, C, Abboud, J, and Descarreaux, M. Associations between anthropometrics, physical determinants, and batting exit speed in elite female baseball athletes. J Strength Cond Res 40(8): 1013-1019, 2026-This study examined the associations between anthropometric and physical determinants with ball exit speed, in elite female baseball athletes. Thirty-seven female athletes (17.2 ± 1.8 years) from the Académie de Baseball du Canada were evaluated during the 2024-2025 offseason. Assessments included height, body mass, upper-body power (seated medicine ball throw), lower-body strength (isometric mid-thigh pull), countermovement jump (CMJ) height, 30-m sprint, and batting ball exit speed using Trackman radar. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of ball exit speed in female batters. All anthropometric and physical performance variables were significantly associated with ball exit speed (ranging from r = -0.55 to 0.65). The multiple regression model including age, body mass, and CMJ height explained 76.8% of the variance in ball exit speed (adjusted R2 = 0.768; p < 0.001). To conclude, age, body mass, and lower-body power are strong predictors of batting performance in elite female baseball athletes in development. These findings highlight the importance of physical capacity and power development in optimizing batting outcomes and inform talent identification and training strategies in women's baseball.