Welcome to the hitting side of Trackman Traits. In this series we spotlight standout players 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, we have been fortunate to have seen a great deal of talent come through the system including approximately 270 players in this year’s Preseason All-State Showcase. Over the coming weeks we will be shining a spotlight on some of the standout performers starting today with 2022 Ballard HS outfielder Dylan Ecken.

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.

 

If you like toolsy players, then look no further than 2022 OF Dylan Ecken. Ecken has flown under the radar to this point in his high school career, in some part due to his 5-10, 180-pound frame. Ecken currently lands at No. 50 on our 2022 class rankings, 8^th among outfielders, but is the highest ranked uncommited position player in the class. Ecken was a standout at the preseason showcase due to how well rounded his game is. He posted the fasted 60-yard time in the Upperclass event at 6.56 seconds (his best time of 6.50 came at a previous event) and showed a five mph increase in OF Velo from 80 to 85 mph. But, where Ecken really stood out is at the plate.

Despite his smaller frame, Ecken put up some eye-opening numbers finishing top five in max exit velocity at 97.2 mph and third in average exit velocity with an average EV of 93.7 mph. Most of Ecken’s power comes to the pull side, but with a max distance of 336 ft, Ecken should be able to run into a home run every now and then. It comes as no surprise that Ecken finished third in Hard Hit % at 87% of his batted balls. Ecken’s blazing speed and ability to barrel up baseballs makes him a constant threat at the plate that projects well at the top of any lineup.

One of the things about Ecken’s batted ball profile that stands out are his percentages of line drives, ground balls, and fly balls. During the preseason event Ecken hit line drives 62.5% of the time and ground balls 37.5% of the time, with no fly balls in his round. On the surface this may seem alright because with his speed he constantly puts pressure on infielders to rush to make plays. With an elite level power/speed score of 14.8 (Max EV divided by 60-yard) Ecken should be a doubles and triples machine. Per KHSAA, Ecken hit .443 across 27 games with only 7 XBH. If Ecken can find a way to get more elevation out of his swing, he suddenly becomes a real power threat and will terrorize opposing defenses at the next level.

So how is Ecken able to produce such high, consistent exit velocities? Let’s look at his Blast metrics to shed some light on the inner workings of his swing. The first thing that jumps off the page is Ecken’s elite rotational acceleration. With a max of 27.8 g and an average of 23.6 g, Ecken’s rotational acceleration is double that of the average high school hitter. This tells us that Ecken gets from the start of his swing to on-plane twice as fast as the average hitter and that he has the ability to wait longer before having to make a swing decision, a skill that should allow him to handle higher velocities well at the next level. Another reason Ecken can consistently barrel baseballs is because of his ability to keep his swing on plane. With an 86% max and 72.3% average on-plane efficiency, Dylan is above average at keeping his barrel in the zone allowing him to better fight off tough breaking pitches and barrel up the pitches he wants. Combine those skills with above average bat and hand speed and you have the making of a dangerous top of the order bat.

Ecken was a clear standout at our Preseason All-State Showcase and it’s easy to see why. As a plus runner, with a good arm, a strong profile at the plate and great academics (34 ACT), Ecken would be a good fit for any program in need of a top of the order outfield bat with true centerfield speed.