Welcome to the hitting side of Trackman Traits. In this series we spotlight players who stood out in the 2020 season and take a deeper dive into their numbers to see what really stands out. Since the implementation of the Trackman and Blast technologies to our showcases this summer, we have been fortunate to have seen a great deal of talent come through the system. Today we will be looking at the top remaining uncommitted player in Kentucky’s 2021 class, Ben Higdon.

Before we get started, we’ll go over and define some of the terminology being used in this piece:

Exit Velocity – This metric measures the speed of the ball off the bat, measured in miles per hour (MPH).

Distance – This metric measures how far the ball traveled, or would travel if it was not obstructed, measured in feet.

Launch Angle – Measures the vertical angle of the ball as it leaves the bat. Positive numbers represent balls traveling upward off the bat and negative numbers mean the ball is traveling downward off the bat.

Fly Ball % - Percentage of fly balls hit during a given set of batted balls events. Trackman defines a fly ball as any batted ball with a launch angle between 25 degrees and 49.9 degrees.

Line Drive % - Percentage of line drives hit during a given set of batted ball events. Trackman defines a line drive as any batted ball with a launch angle between 10 degrees and 24.9 degrees.

Ground Ball % - Percentage of ground balls hit during a given set of batted ball events. Trackman defines a ground ball as any batted ball with a launch angle below 9.9 degrees.

Hard Hit % - Percentage of batted balls with an exit velocity of 90 MPH or higher.

Bat Speed – The speed of the sweet spot of the bat at impact, measured in MPH. The sweet spot is measured 6 inches from the tip of the bat.

Hand Speed – The speed of the handle of the bat just before impact, measured in MPH. The handle is measured 6 inches from the knob of the bat.

Rotational Acceleration – A measure of how quickly the hitter gets from launch position to being on plane. This is measured in G-Force (g).

On Plane Efficiency % - A measure of the percentage of your swing that was on swing plane.

 

 

 

Trackman Data Analysis

Ben Higdon currently stands as the fourth ranked outfielder, and 27^th overall player in his class. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound switch-hitter appeared at only one PBR event this year, a Top Prospects Games session in Bowling Green, KY, but managed to leave a lasting impression at the dish. His athleticism and swing led to some impressive numbers at the event, so let’s breakdown some of the Trackman data behind his performance.

Exit Velocity – Higdon posted an average exit velocity of 86.29 MPH showing an ability to make consistent contact from both sides of the plate. The power potential really began to flash from the right side of the plate where he posted a max exit velocity of 97.21 MPH, fourth highest among participants at the event. At 6-1, 175 there is room for Higdon to fill out his frame, and if he gets stronger, then his exit velocity numbers will only go up.

Distance – At 371 ft, Higdon produced the furthest hit ball of the event on a BP homerun that landed on the pavilion in left-center field. That homerun was one of multiple Higdon hit out during his round of batting practice that day. With an average distance of 255 ft, Higdon placed 8^th among players at the event.

Batted Ball Percentages – Higdon’s swing produces a lot of natural lift, so it comes as no surprise that he hits flyballs at a 58.8% clip. Add in a 23.5% Line Drive % and you can see that Higdon is getting some level of elevation on the ball over 80% of the time. With a 41.2% Hard Hit % (exit velocity over 90 mph), Higdon is able to drive balls with carry, especially from the right side of the plate. As Higdon fills out his frame, his Hard Hit % is likely to go up, allowing him to become an even bigger power threat.

Blast Connection

Trackman does a great job showing the outcomes of players swings and their batted ball events. Its data is results based, the best numbers come when you get off your best swing and make your best contact. Blast Motion technology, also implemented this year along with Trackman, tracks the swing data of a player and can shine a light into what a player does well in their swing. When paired with Trackman, it can paint a more complete picture of a hitter and help explain why a player is able to hit the ball harder, further, and more consistently than others.

While Higdon did produce some impressive Trackman numbers, his Blast metrics are where he really begins to stand out. Higdon found his name littered all over the Blast leaderboards, finishing first or second in Max Hand Speed, Avg Hand Speed, Max Bat Speed, and Avg Bat Speed. With an average rotational acceleration of 10.3 g, Higdon falls right in line with the high school average. But, because he has such elite hand speed, 24.7 mph average and a max of 29.6 mph, Higdon is able to produce elite bat speed and get through the zone quickly. The average bat speed for a high school hitter falls between 60-70 (mph). Higdon has an average bat speed of 79.5 mph and reaches a max bat speed of 87.4 mph, an elite number for a hitter at any level, let alone a high school hitter. Having such high bat speed should allow Higdon to compete against higher velocities at the next level. Higdon’s athleticism allows him to produce such high hand and bat speed, which ultimately translates into more power at the plate.

Conclusion

Ben Higdon is already showing flashes of power, but his frame and elite swing metrics point to the fact there could be more coming in the future. Add in athletic actions in the outfield matched with solid arm strength (86 mph), and it’s no wonder Higdon finds himself as one of the top ranked outfielders in the 2021 class.