For the seventh straight summer, the PBR Illinois team has ended its summer showcase circuit with the Chicagoland Open, an event open to all high school athletes that typically lends itself to a hefty roster to evaluate. With 100-plus in attendance last Sunday, our staff had its work cut out for us as many of these players earned some added recognition here inside of our Quick Hits post, published on Wednesday.

Today, we’re assessing some of the data we gathered to provide you with a closer analytical look at the showcase inside of today’s post.

MAX FASTBALL VELOCITY

Springfield senior RHP Richie Snider (Illinois-Springfield commit) is a highly projectable 6-foot-6, 195 pounds, and he leapt up in our prospect book after a stellar outing Sunday. He averaged the firmest fastball velocity of the day and shares the top of the leaderboard with a high-follow 2022 prospect. He averaged a spin rate of 2,313 rpm too, the highest among his fellow 2021 grads. Technically, RHP Joseph Swanson (Chaminade College Prep, MO, 2022) threw the single-hardest fastball of the day, at 89.4 mph, per TrackMan, and it spun at a near-similar rate of 2,316 rpm. From the Peoria area, Swanson has some of the highest upside of those 100-plus players in attendance.

Effingham sophomore RHP Josh McDevitt should be considered one of the top 2023 prospects in the state, after a phenomenal look we had a first-hand seat at. He’s built at a strong 6-foot, and he was up to 87 mph, sitting 85-87, a couple ticks firmer than fellow 2023 grad RHP Gavin Parkerson (Armstrong), who features a low-spin, heavy fastball himself. One last note on McDevitt, he spun the tightest slider of the day at 2,407 rpm. He and RHP Meade Johnson (Mattoon, 2021) feature mid-80s velo and a biting slider worth following closely.

Get to know RHP Tyler Altenbaumer (St. Joseph-Ogden), a 5-foot-8, 155-pound incoming junior who possesses an intriguing fastball. Up to 85 mph, Altenbaumer’s fastball is released from a high window for his stature, and it carries through the zone at an above-average rate – a max Induced Vertical Break of 18.7 inches, per TrackMan, which was among the day’s highest.

LHP Teddy Andrews (Hinsdale Central, 2022) is a big 6-foot-3, 180-pound southpaw who sat 82-83 mph with effective spin, at a rate of 2,271 rpm on average. The spin and extension toward the plate suggests his fastball will be a tough matchup for opposing bats.

Another TrackMan winner: uncommitted senior RHP Connor Carter (Williamsville), who sat in the low-80s, up to 83 mph, but his fastball carried through the zone higher on average than anyone else’s, at an IVB of 18.5 inches on average. RHP Evan Eberle (Oak Park-River Forest, 2022) topped 85 mph with another carry fastball; he averaged 16.9 inches of IVB. Lastly, one other uncommitted senior to mention here, RHP Connor Lutes (Libertyville), who’s listed at a stout 6-foot-4, 223 pound. Up to 84 mph, Lutes’ fastball can sneak up on hitters with the help of his big extension.

TOP 60-YARD DASH

There were five prospects who sprinted to sub-6.70 marks at the Chicagoland Open, led by OF Russ Steil IV (Sacred Heart-Griffin, 2021) who ran a 6.58 at his first-ever PBR event. Fellow uncommitted senior Ryan DiGrazia (Waubonsie Valley) also broke out on Sunday; he’s a 6-foot-3 athlete who motored to a 6.65 but also landed near the top of other leaderboards.

Juniors INF Peyton Burgh (Prospect) and OF Roger Simon (Loyola Academy) matched one another with 6.67 times, and both offer additional upside elsewhere. Simon had an especially electric day, displaying a big arm from the outfield grass while offering big bat speed and strength from the right-handed batter’s box.

OF Nathan Zambori (Glenbard South) paced his 2023 classmates with a 6.77 mark here. He also showed some strength from the right side, topping 92.5 mph exit velo in live BP, per TrackMan.

OF Zachary Stokes is another Waubonsie Valley senior to shine at the Open in a multitude of ways. He ran a 6.88 and was 92 mph off the tee, underscored by a 94.2 mph high in live BP and he hit a ball 350 feet, all according to TrackMan.

St. Charles North junior Ryan Caccia is a high-level athlete who uses it well from both behind the plate and from the outfield. Another sub-7.00 runner who also possesses notable arm strength that is well-applied in his defense. We mentioned Eberle in the pitching section, but his athleticism breaks through on the other side of the ball, as he also ran a sub-7.00 while displaying both arm and bat strength.

MAX EXIT VELOCITY

A sophomore, the two-way prospect Parkerson, recorded the highest exit velo mark at the station, with a 96 mph high. He was mentioned previously for a top fastball of 85 mph, but his obvious strength works all over the field, where he topped 92.7 mph off the bat in live BP.

OF Will Meyer (Maine South, 2021) was a huge winner, statistically, at this showcase. While running an above-average 7.13 – much quicker than the 7.46 mark he recorded in February – Meyer also led all outfielders in velocity to home and demonstrated some right-handed strength on contact from the box, too.

Simon produced arguably the most impressive statistical performance of all those in attendance. His 93 mph high at this station was only improved on live batting practice, where he recorded the single-hardest batted ball, one that left the bat at 98.4 mph. A large group of prospects tied for the next best mark of 92 mph, including aforementioned prospects Eberle, Stokes, DiGrazia, as well as OF Cooper Schmid (Plainfield South, 2021), SS/3B Christopher LeCrone (Dunlap, 2021), and 1B Jayden Clark (Thornton Fractional South, 2022). The three new faces of Schmid, LeCrone, and Clark are each listed at either 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3 and all three recorded top-seven exit velocities in live batting practice – LeCrone notably hit a ball 350 feet, among the farthest of the day. And Eberle’s recurring name found a way to stand out once more, as he hit the farthest ball of the day at 359 feet, all while averaging the fifth-hardest exit in BP (86.5 mph).

While Andrews just missed the exit velo leaderboard above, the two-way, left/left prospect averaged some of the hardest-hit contact of the day during his round, and he topped 96.2 mph off the bat, too.

And it was a sophomore who actually produced some of the loudest contact of the day during BP: OF Drew Gilley (New Trier). At 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, Gilley musters all of that punch into his left-handed swing, as he averaged the top exit marks of the day (90.9 mph), and he ran a 7.16 and topped 84 mph to home.

TOP INFIELD VELOCITY

Andrews, again, earns a nod in this post. The 6-foot-3 junior moves well for his size, which could make him an asset at first base, and he also recorded the top velocity in this group, at 85 mph across the way.

Mattoon’s middle infielder Luke Perry (2023) has shown well at a couple different PBR events this summer and this was just the latest example. He moves well on defense and has harnessed some arm strength from the left side of the infield. Perry also swings from the right side with some bat speed.

LeCrone is physical, and it shows best from the right-handed batter’s box (as mentioned above), but he also brings some viable arm strength to the diamond, too.

From Yorkville, two-way talent Connor Corrigan (2022) offers a diverse set of skills, including some noteworthy arm strength on the infield, same as fellow two-way junior Andrew Bollman (Lincoln-Way East). Bollman also ran a 7.18 and topped 90 mph off the tee. And keep an eye on SS Griffin Burk (Springfield, 2023), a left-handed-hitting middle infielder who topped 88 mph off the tee and was 80 mph to first.

TOP OUTFIELD VELOCITY

Referenced earlier, but worth highlighting again, Maine South’s Meyer led all outfielders with a 90 mph high to home. He’s a follow athlete who performed well in several areas on Sunday and it’s worth keeping tabs on.

And another familiar name warrants more praise: the Loyola junior Simon produces big tools that also placed him near the top of this leaderboard, a tick ahead of the senior Caccia, who we’ll mention again soon.

And, to the surprise of no one, Eberle managed another place here tied with another frequently mentioned prospect in Stokes.

TOP CATCHER VELOCITY

As promised, here’s Caccia pacing the day’s backstops in more ways than one. Of the group, he ran the day’s quickest 60-yard dash (6.93) and was comfortably ahead of his peers in velocity to the bag, with a 79 mph high. Will Sommers (Prospect, 2021) and Case Sparks (Springfield, 2021) were next up in this category while also recording neck-and-neck pop times.

TOP POP TIMES

Caccia averaged the quickest times to second base, making the most of his arm strength. Junior Gunnar Briggs (Glenbard North) is an interesting case. He gets the most out of his arm strength with especially quick and efficient actions that helped him average the next quickest times to second. He also ran a 7.25 and topped an 89.9 mph exit velocity in batting practice.

Sparks and Sommers did well enough to land the next best spots here, so keep an eye on their work moving forward as uncommitted seniors.

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