Trackman Traits - Pitching: '22 RHP NAthan Lawson (russell county)

Welcome to Trackman Traits! In this piece we will be dissecting the numbers the Trackman produces and the effect they can have on a pitcher's approach. Below there will be definitions of each category that we believe to be the most important for a young arm to keep in mind as well as breaking down an arm and giving suggestions on how they can improve their game. Keep in mind, in some categories it is better to be further away from average even if the numbers are wavering on below average. 

FASTBALL VELOCITY

Fastball velocity doesn't go much deeper than just looking at the numbers and comparing them to the graphic below! Fastball velocity complements just about all of the other metrics that are measured. If you throw hard, it makes all your other pitches/metrics even better.

FASTBALL SPIN RATE

Spin rate is a measurement that if you are below average or above average, you can pitch with more room for error. On the other hand, if you are average you should try to throw in the bottom half of the zone with exceptional command. High spin fastballs profile as one that is frequently described as having "late life". Low spin fastballs tend to profile as a fastball that has heavy feel to it. Pitch movement is still dependent on spin direction of the pitch but Trackman does not have that metric displayed on profiles. 

BAUER UNITS

Bauer Units are an easier way of determining how useful the spin numbers are compared to the velocity. We can calculate this metric by taking average spin rate and dividing it by average velocity. Bauer Units are useful because we can have a case of two pitchers with the same spin numbers, ex. 2200 RPM, but one pitcher throws 90 MPH and the other throws 83 MPH. The pitcher throwing 90 MPH with 2200 spin is not as impressive as the pitcher throwing 83 MPH with the same spin. Typically, we would tell the harder throwing pitcher to throw up in the zone purely off his velocity and his high spin, but because his Bauer Units would equate to around 24 that would be only 1 unit off of average (23), therefore he would want to hammer the bottom of the zone. On the other side, the pitcher throwing 83 MPH has a Bauer Unit measurement of 26 which is incredibly impressive. This would allow him to throw up in the zone even though his velocity is not blow away type numbers because he produces above average spin with that slated velocity. 

FASTBALL INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK

As far as deception and importance goes, fast induced vertical break (IVB) may be the most important. Induced vertical break is not what is sounds. IVB simply means the pitch is "breaking" upward from the average level a pitch falls from release to home plate. This is a stat that you want to stay away from being average at. Fortunately, this can be tweaked slightly depending on release height. To put it simply, the higher number =  more "rise" the pitch has compared to average. Lower number = more depth the pitch has to it. 

CURVEBALL SPIN RATE

Spin rate on curveballs is pretty simple: higher spin = nastier stuff. There are some ways to manipulate spin numbers slightly but for the most part spin is spin. At the moment, there are no well known ways to change your spin in a big way. Spin not only dictates how sharp your curveball is, but it can also aid in keeping hitters honest by having similar rotation matching that of your fastball. 

Fastball Breakdown

Velocity: As you can see with a max velo of 87 MPH and average velo of 85-87 MPH on this occasion, Lawson finds himself in the top 10% in the high school category. Among all high school pitcher's, an athlete with this velocity is considered the top 10%. Even in the college level, Lawson would find himself in the top 75% right at this moment. This is a good sign not only because of his age but because of his lower effort he works in his delivery. He has more time before college to get even stronger and dial in his mechanics and velocity even more. 

Spin Rate: With an average spin rate of 2411 RPM Lawson once again finds himself off the charts in the spin rate comparisons. If we want to really get into it, we can move to the MLB side and compare. He would find himself slatted around the top 10-25%. This is elite spin and will give him the advantage to throw up in the zone allowing the ball to cut through the air easier and fight gravity. 

Bauer Units: We already know that Lawson possesses elite spin but is it all "useful" spin for his fastball velocity? If we look at his Bauer Units, he comes in with a whopping 28. League average among big leaguers is ~22-23. So with looking at purely spin, velo, and Bauer Units we can determine that Lawson would most likely see success throwing up in the zone with the combination of all his elite measurements. 

Induced Vertical Break: If you thought all the other measurements were incredible, take a look at the IVB. Averaging 20 inches of induced vertical break is pretty impressive. The ball is fighting the average flight of a ball to the plate by 20 inches, giving it a slight rise look when a hitter is seeing it. This measurement solidifies our statement made previously about throwing up in the zone. 

Curveball Breakdown

Spin Rate: With an average spin rate of 2310 on his breaking ball, Lawson would be in the top 25% in the high school level. With elite spin on his curveball it gives him the opportunity to pair it nicely with his fastball because out of the hand the spin would look similar to his fastball. High spin gives the ball the ability to catch the air and get that extra bite early on, but let's take a look at the next important measurement to determine if it is actually doing that. 
 

Horizontal/Vertical Break: With the high spin, the ball is biting around 12 inches downward on its way to home plate. This would be off the chart at the high school level and even in the top 10% among all college arms to throw and get recorded pitches on a Trackman. IVB alone, this would be a lethal pitch but what is even better is he is able to induce an absurd amount of horizontal movement (HM) as well. When we look at horizontal movement you want to think about it on a number line scale from the pitcher's view to home. At pitcher's mound, the measurement would be zero if someone threw a pitch that didn't move to either side. If a pitch moves to the left, it is a negative number and if a pitch moves to the right it would be a positive number. So -20 inches of HM to the left paired with -12 inches of drop makes for a big swing and miss curveball.