2024 Rising Stars State Games - Data Dive
October 29, 2024
The 2024 Rising Stars State Games took place October 25-27 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona, FL. The event featured players from the 2028-2029 classes participating in pro-style workout followed by three total games in front of the Prep Baseball Florida Scouting Staff.
Inside today’s Data Dive, we will highlight the players with top metrics per Trackman and Blast.
On Monday, we broke down the stat leaders from the more traditional categories in our Statistical Leaderboards. Today, we will take an even closer look at the players in attendance with the help of our tech partners, broken down by the categories and leaderboards below.
Pitchers
FASTBALL
MAX VELOCITY (MPH)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Velocity (max) |
1 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 88.5 mph |
2 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 82.2 mph |
3 | Clayton Gerrell | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 82.1 mph |
4 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 80.8 mph |
5 | Evan Swope | FL | Jesuit | 2028 | SS | 79.9 mph |
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 2152 rpm |
2 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 2107 rpm |
3 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 2090 rpm |
4 | Carter Hawk | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 2005 rpm |
5 | Evan Swope | FL | Jesuit | 2028 | SS | 1994 rpm |
Spin Rate: This metric calculates the rate of spin on the baseball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). Historical data shows that high-spin fastballs lessen the impact of gravity, allowing for more ‘rise’ (or less fall, in other words) as it carries through the zone. Low-spin fastballs typically indicate the pitch has greater horizontal action, often making it tougher to square up, but generally easier to make contact with, leading to more ground balls, while high-spin fastballs show a correlation with swings and misses.
SPIN EFFICIENCY% (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Efficiency % (avg) |
1 | Jaxx Emmert | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 91 % |
2 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 90 % |
3 | Liam Lee | FL | Foundation Academy | 2028 | OF | 90 % |
4 | Jackson Evans | FL | SPANISH RIVER COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 86 % |
5 | Harvey Coots | FL | PACE HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 2B | 77 % |
Spin Efficiency: This metric is the percentage of the raw spin rate that directly impacts pitch movement; so while raw spin is measured by revolutions per minute (rpm), spin efficiency is the ratio of true spin divided by raw spin. It’s important to understand that more is not always better when it comes to spin efficiency. The optimal spin efficiency on a pitch depends on the pitch type and should be understood in the context of a pitcher’s entire arsenal. Regarding the true four-seam fastball, a spin efficiency close to 100 percent is preferable, indicating that nearly all the backspin generated on the ball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand is contributing to the “riding” action the pitch has as it enters and exits the strike zone, making it especially effective in the upper third of the strike zone.
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Liam Lee | FL | Foundation Academy | 2028 | OF | 19.8 in |
2 | Jaxx Emmert | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 19.7 in |
3 | Jackson Evans | FL | SPANISH RIVER COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 19.5 in |
4 | Clayton Gerrell | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 16.5 in |
5 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 15.7 in |
Induced Vertical Break: Used in short form as "IVB," this metric is most important on fastballs for creating rise and on curveballs for creating depth – it can also have some use when measuring sliders and cutters as well. Sliders tend to be closer to zero inches while cutters are generally between 5 and 15 inches. Usually fastballs and curveballs with large IVB have higher spin efficiencies as well. Sliders generally have very little (closer to zero) IVB and very low spin efficiency. You could also categorize IVB into spin rate as this is part of the “useful movement” you’re looking for. IVB is also a huge part of the vertical approach angle.
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 15.2 |
2 | Dennon Johnson | FL | ATLANTIC COAST HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 2B | 13.4 |
3 | Jaxx Emmert | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 12.3 |
4 | Evan Swope | FL | Jesuit | 2028 | SS | 11.6 |
5 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 10.8 |
Horizontal Break: Outlined on TrackMan’s own website: “... horizontal movement is measured in inches between where the pitch actually crosses the front of home plate side-wise, and where it would have crossed home plate side-wise if had it traveled in a perfectly straight line from release. A positive number means the break was to the right from the pitcher’s perspective, while a negative number means the break was to the left from the pitcher’s perspective.”
CURVEBALL
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 2335 rpm |
2 | Jackson Evans | FL | SPANISH RIVER COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 2180 rpm |
3 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | 2136 rpm |
4 | Carter Hawk | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 2081 rpm |
5 | Jaxx Emmert | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 1997 rpm |
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Jaxx Emmert | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | -8.0 in |
2 | Jackson Evans | FL | SPANISH RIVER COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | -6.9 in |
3 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 5.5 in |
4 | Liam Lee | FL | Foundation Academy | 2028 | OF | -3.2 in |
5 | Dennon Johnson | FL | ATLANTIC COAST HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 2B | 3.0 in |
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | -14.3 |
2 | Jaxx Emmert | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | -12.5 |
3 | Carter Hawk | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | -11.9 |
4 | Ben Turrell | FL | PORT ST. JOE HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 2B | -11.6 |
5 | Dennon Johnson | FL | ATLANTIC COAST HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 2B | -9.9 |
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 2324 |
2 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 2191 |
3 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 2074 |
4 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | 1996 |
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | -2.1 in |
2 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | -1.8 in |
3 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 0.9 in |
4 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 0.0 in |
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | -12.4 |
2 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | -9.8 |
3 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | -7.0 |
4 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | -4.4 |
CHANGEUP
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Alexander Shafii | FL | Tampa Jesuit | 2028 | OF | 1924 rpm |
2 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 1774 rpm |
3 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 1686 rpm |
4 | Dennon Johnson | FL | ATLANTIC COAST HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 2B | 1671 rpm |
5 | Jaxx Emmert | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 1499 rpm |
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Dennon Johnson | FL | ATLANTIC COAST HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 2B | 18.0 |
2 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 17.0 |
3 | Jackson Evans | FL | SPANISH RIVER COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 15.3 |
4 | Jaxx Emmert | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 12.9 |
5 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 10.1 |
Hitters
ATHLETIC TESTING
60-YARD DASH
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | 60-yard |
1 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 7.08 |
2 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 7.22 |
3 | Micah Pringle | FL | LYMAN HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | SS | 7.23 |
4 | Liam Lee | FL | Foundation Academy | 2028 | OF | 7.27 |
5 | Owen Hewitt | FL | WILLIAM T. DWYER HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 7.31 |
^ | Julian Connell | FL | American Heritage (Plantation) | 2028 | OF | 7.31 |
6 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 7.48 |
7 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | 7.51 |
^ | Brayden Farmer | FL | Oak Hall School | 2028 | 2B | 7.51 |
8 | Alexander Shafii | FL | Tampa Jesuit | 2028 | OF | 7.53 |
9 | Evan Swope | FL | Jesuit | 2028 | SS | 7.55 |
10 | Clayton Gerrell | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 7.68 |
GRIP STRENGTH (RIGHT)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Grip Strgth (RH) |
1 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | 158.4 |
2 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 154.0 |
3 | Owen Hewitt | FL | WILLIAM T. DWYER HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 150.3 |
4 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 137.0 |
5 | Julian Connell | FL | American Heritage (Plantation) | 2028 | OF | 136.8 |
6 | Clayton Gerrell | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 132.2 |
7 | Evan Swope | FL | Jesuit | 2028 | SS | 131.3 |
8 | Tommy Giro | FL | Westminster Christian | 2028 | C | 127.5 |
9 | Liam Lee | FL | Foundation Academy | 2028 | OF | 127.1 |
10 | Christian Yamashita | FL | Montverde Academy | 2028 | SS | 123.3 |
GRIP STRENGTH (LEFT)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Grip Strgth (LH) |
1 | Evan Swope | FL | Jesuit | 2028 | SS | 143.2 |
2 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | 142.3 |
3 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 138.3 |
4 | Clayton Gerrell | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 135.5 |
5 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 135.0 |
^ | Owen Hewitt | FL | WILLIAM T. DWYER HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 135.0 |
6 | Julian Connell | FL | American Heritage (Plantation) | 2028 | OF | 129.1 |
7 | Liam Lee | FL | Foundation Academy | 2028 | OF | 127.5 |
8 | Tommy Giro | FL | Westminster Christian | 2028 | C | 120.9 |
9 | Micah Pringle | FL | LYMAN HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | SS | 119.2 |
10 | Carter Hawk | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 116.7 |
TRACKMAN HITTING
EXIT VELOCITY (MAX)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Exit Velocity (max) |
1 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | 92.3 mph |
2 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 91.1 mph |
3 | Carter Hawk | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 89.7 mph |
4 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 89.6 mph |
5 | Owen Hewitt | FL | WILLIAM T. DWYER HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 89.4 mph |
6 | Tommy Giro | FL | Westminster Christian | 2028 | C | 88.6 mph |
7 | Jaxx Emmert | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 85.9 mph |
8 | Bennett Malone | FL | Lincoln | 2028 | C | 85.9 mph |
9 | Julian Connell | FL | American Heritage (Plantation) | 2028 | OF | 85.4 mph |
10 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 85.3 mph |
EXIT VELOCITY (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Exit Velocity (avg) |
1 | Owen Hewitt | FL | WILLIAM T. DWYER HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 85.5 mph |
2 | Tommy Giro | FL | Westminster Christian | 2028 | C | 82.5 mph |
3 | Carter Hawk | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 81.7 mph |
4 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 81.5 mph |
5 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 80.7 mph |
6 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | 80.5 mph |
7 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 79.8 mph |
8 | Clayton Gerrell | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 76.3 mph |
9 | Bennett Malone | FL | Lincoln | 2028 | C | 75.9 mph |
10 | Brayden Farmer | FL | Oak Hall School | 2028 | 2B | 75.9 mph |
Exit Velocity: This metric measures the speed of the ball, measured in miles per hour, as it comes off the bat at the moment of contact.
BATTED BALL DISTANCE (MAX)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Distance (max) |
1 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 341 ft |
2 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | 333 ft |
3 | Tommy Giro | FL | Westminster Christian | 2028 | C | 326 ft |
4 | Owen Hewitt | FL | WILLIAM T. DWYER HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 319 ft |
5 | Julian Connell | FL | American Heritage (Plantation) | 2028 | OF | 308 ft |
6 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 308 ft |
7 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 299 ft |
8 | Brayden Farmer | FL | Oak Hall School | 2028 | 2B | 298 ft |
9 | Carter Hawk | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 296 ft |
10 | Clayton Gerrell | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 291 ft |
SWEET SPOT%
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Sweet Spot % |
1 | Micah Pringle | FL | LYMAN HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | SS | 80 % |
2 | Dennon Johnson | FL | ATLANTIC COAST HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 2B | 76 % |
3 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 73 % |
^ | Tommy Giro | FL | Westminster Christian | 2028 | C | 73 % |
4 | Jackson Evans | FL | SPANISH RIVER COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 66 % |
5 | Brayden Farmer | FL | Oak Hall School | 2028 | 2B | 63 % |
Sweet Spot percentage: This metric is determined by how often the player produces a batted ball during the session with a launch angle between 8 to 32 degrees.
BLAST MOTION
HAND SPEED (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Hand Speed (avg) |
1 | Evan Swope | FL | Jesuit | 2028 | SS | 20.9 mph |
2 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | 20.3 mph |
3 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 20.2 mph |
4 | Christian Yamashita | FL | Montverde Academy | 2028 | SS | 20.1 mph |
5 | Tommy Giro | FL | Westminster Christian | 2028 | C | 19.9 mph |
6 | Julian Connell | FL | American Heritage (Plantation) | 2028 | OF | 19.8 mph |
7 | Carter Hawk | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 19.8 mph |
8 | Owen Hewitt | FL | WILLIAM T. DWYER HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 19.6 mph |
9 | Liam Lee | FL | Foundation Academy | 2028 | OF | 19.3 mph |
10 | Bennett Malone | FL | Lincoln | 2028 | C | 19.0 mph |
Hand Speed: The observed speed as measured on the handle of the bat (measured six inches from the knob of the bat). Peak Hand Speed will occur prior to the moment of impact, very close to the commit time in the swing when the wrists unhinge.
BAT SPEED (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Bat Speed (avg) |
1 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 70.2 mph |
2 | Evan Swope | FL | Jesuit | 2028 | SS | 69.5 mph |
3 | Luke Straw | FL | Calvary Christian High School | 2028 | 3B | 68.3 mph |
^ | Carter Hawk | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 68.3 mph |
4 | Owen Hewitt | FL | WILLIAM T. DWYER HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 68.1 mph |
5 | Brendan Beery | FL | Gulliver Prep | 2027 | RHP | 67.2 mph |
6 | Tommy Giro | FL | Westminster Christian | 2028 | C | 66.7 mph |
7 | Jaxx Emmert | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 65.7 mph |
8 | Liam Lee | FL | Foundation Academy | 2028 | OF | 65.4 mph |
9 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 64.2 mph |
10 | Clayton Gerrell | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | C | 63.3 mph |
Bat Speed: The observed speed of the sweet spot of the bat at impact. The sweet spot of the bat is measured six inches from the tip of the bat.
ROTATIONAL ACCELERATION (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Rot. Acc (avg) |
1 | Cullen Garner | FL | St. Joseph Academy | 2028 | OF | 18.1 g |
2 | Evan Swope | FL | Jesuit | 2028 | SS | 17.5 g |
3 | Von Nielsen | FL | LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL | 2029 | OF | 16.0 g |
4 | Carter Hawk | FL | SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 15.8 g |
5 | Liam Lee | FL | Foundation Academy | 2028 | OF | 14.6 g |
6 | Micah Pringle | FL | LYMAN HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | SS | 13.5 g |
7 | Reggie Manzano | FL | Windermere Prep School | 2028 | C | 12.5 g |
8 | Tommy Giro | FL | Westminster Christian | 2028 | C | 12.3 g |
9 | Owen Hewitt | FL | WILLIAM T. DWYER HIGH SCHOOL | 2028 | 3B | 12.2 g |
10 | Bennett Malone | FL | Lincoln | 2028 | C | 11.2 g |
Rotational Acceleration: Rotation measures how quickly your bat accelerates into the swing plane. Rotation is a good indicator of how you build bat speed by sequencing properly vs. pulling the bat with your hands. The quicker your rotational acceleration, the more power you will have and the more time you have to make a decision at the plate.
+ CLICK HERE for a look at the complete statistics from the event.
Upcoming Events
Showcase | State | Date | Location |
Florida Super Sophomore Games (Invite-Only) | FL | 11/23 | University of Miami - Alex Rodriguez Park |