Hawaii Rising Stars ID: Pitching Data Dive
April 24, 2024
On Sunday, April 21st, the Prep Baseball Hawaii staff hosted it's first and only Rising Stars event of the year with the Hawaii Rising Stars at Pearl City High School in Pearl City, Hawaii. This event featured 33 prospects from the 2028 - 2029 classes and allowed our staff an opportunity to get an in-depth look and analysis of the players in attendance.
Earlier this week we began our post-event coverage with our Statistical Analysis articles. Today, we continue our deep dive into the data collected at the event within this Pitching Data Dive article as we break down the leaders in several different TrackMan metrics on a variety of different pitches.
For complete event results, click here.
To view upcoming event schedule, click here.
FASTBALL
MAX VELOCITY (MPH)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Velocity (max) |
1 | Noah Andrew Castillo | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | RHP | 85.8 mph |
2 | Keona Barraza | HI | Punahou School | 2029 | RHP | 80.1 mph |
3 | Evan SoliaiHowlett | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | 3B | 78.5 mph |
4 | Daly Watson | HI | Punahou School | 2028 | 3B | 77.9 mph |
5 | Keawe Kaalekahi | HI | Saint Louis School | 2028 | 3B | 74.9 mph |
Max Fastball Velocity: This metric calculates the speed of the pitch as it’s released from the pitcher’s hand.
SPIN RATE (AVG)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Noah Andrew Castillo | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | RHP | 2225 rpm |
2 | Keona Barraza | HI | Punahou School | 2029 | RHP | 2057 rpm |
3 | Daly Watson | HI | Punahou School | 2028 | 3B | 2035 rpm |
4 | Evan SoliaiHowlett | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | 3B | 1999 rpm |
5 | Keawe Kaalekahi | HI | Saint Louis School | 2028 | 3B | 1947 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.
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Jayden Nieves-Inong | HI | Pearl City High School | 2029 | 1B | 23.6 in |
2 | Keawe Kaalekahi | HI | Saint Louis School | 2028 | 3B | 19.6 in |
3 | Keona Barraza | HI | Punahou School | 2029 | RHP | 18.1 in |
4 | Desten Napierala | HI | Waianae High School | 2029 | 3B | 17.6 in |
5 | JONAH ORDENSTEIN | HI | ST LOUIS SCHOOL | 2029 | 1B | 17.4 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 | Richard Wells Jr | HI | Hilo High School | 2029 | 1B | 19.9 |
2 | Noah Andrew Castillo | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | RHP | 17.5 |
3 | Keona Barraza | HI | Punahou School | 2029 | RHP | 16.6 |
4 | Daly Watson | HI | Punahou School | 2028 | 3B | 13.4 |
5 | Desten Napierala | HI | Waianae High School | 2029 | 3B | 8.7 |
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.”
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Zone % |
1 | Bryce Kedro | HI | ST LOUIS SCHOOL | 2029 | 2B | 60 % |
^ | Keona Barraza | HI | Punahou School | 2029 | RHP | 60 % |
2 | Richard Wells Jr | HI | Hilo High School | 2029 | 1B | 42 % |
^ | Noah Andrew Castillo | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | RHP | 42 % |
CURVEBALL
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Noah Andrew Castillo | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | RHP | 2481 rpm |
2 | Daly Watson | HI | Punahou School | 2028 | 3B | 2395 rpm |
3 | Keona Barraza | HI | Punahou School | 2029 | RHP | 2124 rpm |
4 | Keawe Kaalekahi | HI | Saint Louis School | 2028 | 3B | 1732 rpm |
5 | Bryce Kedro | HI | ST LOUIS SCHOOL | 2029 | 2B | 1717 rpm |
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Richard Wells Jr | HI | Hilo High School | 2029 | 1B | 8.0 in |
2 | Jayden Nieves-Inong | HI | Pearl City High School | 2029 | 1B | -5.2 in |
3 | Daly Watson | HI | Punahou School | 2028 | 3B | -2.6 in |
4 | Noah Andrew Castillo | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | RHP | 2.5 in |
5 | Keawe Kaalekahi | HI | Saint Louis School | 2028 | 3B | 2.4 in |
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Keona Barraza | HI | Punahou School | 2029 | RHP | -9.2 |
2 | Noah Andrew Castillo | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | RHP | -7.7 |
3 | Evan SoliaiHowlett | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | 3B | -6.8 |
4 | Jayden Nieves-Inong | HI | Pearl City High School | 2029 | 1B | 5.0 |
5 | Daly Watson | HI | Punahou School | 2028 | 3B | -4.7 |
STRIKE ZONE %
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Zone % |
1 | Keona Barraza | HI | Punahou School | 2029 | RHP | 100 % |
2 | Bryce Kedro | HI | ST LOUIS SCHOOL | 2029 | 2B | 75 % |
3 | Richard Wells Jr | HI | Hilo High School | 2029 | 1B | 60 % |
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Evan SoliaiHowlett | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | 3B | 1915 |
2 | Jayden Nieves-Inong | HI | Pearl City High School | 2029 | 1B | 1776 |
3 | Bryce Kedro | HI | ST LOUIS SCHOOL | 2029 | 2B | 1734 |
4 | Desten Napierala | HI | Waianae High School | 2029 | 3B | 1457 |
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Jayden Nieves-Inong | HI | Pearl City High School | 2029 | 1B | 5.5 in |
2 | Evan SoliaiHowlett | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | 3B | 3.3 in |
3 | Bryce Kedro | HI | ST LOUIS SCHOOL | 2029 | 2B | 1.3 in |
4 | Desten Napierala | HI | Waianae High School | 2029 | 3B | 0.4 in |
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Evan SoliaiHowlett | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | 3B | -16.3 |
2 | Bryce Kedro | HI | ST LOUIS SCHOOL | 2029 | 2B | -2.3 |
3 | Jayden Nieves-Inong | HI | Pearl City High School | 2029 | 1B | -2.0 |
4 | Desten Napierala | HI | Waianae High School | 2029 | 3B | 1.4 |
STRIKE ZONE %
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Zone % |
1 | Bryce Kedro | HI | ST LOUIS SCHOOL | 2029 | 2B | 100 % |
2 | Desten Napierala | HI | Waianae High School | 2029 | 3B | 50 % |
^ | Jayden Nieves-Inong | HI | Pearl City High School | 2029 | 1B | 50 % |
CHANGEUP
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Daly Watson | HI | Punahou School | 2028 | 3B | 19.4 |
2 | Bryce Kedro | HI | ST LOUIS SCHOOL | 2029 | 2B | 17.0 |
3 | Noah Andrew Castillo | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | RHP | 16.6 |
4 | Keona Barraza | HI | Punahou School | 2029 | RHP | 16.5 |
5 | Richard Wells Jr | HI | Hilo High School | 2029 | 1B | 15.6 |
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Zone % |
1 | Noah Andrew Castillo | HI | Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus | 2028 | RHP | 75 % |
2 | Richard Wells Jr | HI | Hilo High School | 2029 | 1B | 60 % |
3 | Bryce Kedro | HI | ST LOUIS SCHOOL | 2029 | 2B | 50 % |
^ | Keona Barraza | HI | Punahou School | 2029 | RHP | 50 % |
^ | Desten Napierala | HI | Waianae High School | 2029 | 3B | 50 % |
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