The PBR Future Games is the premier underclass event in the country.  In 2019, the event moved to LakePoint in Emerson, GA where PBR territories worked to put together rosters of the top uncommitted underclass players in the country.  Day 1 saw the position players work out on 1 field for over 320 college coaches.  Days 2 - 4 featured game play with no more than 2 fields a the LakePoint complex going live at any one time. 

Team Carolina is made up of the top uncommitted underclass players from North Carolina and South Carolina.  In 2019, Team Carolina put up huge numbers on the first day workouts and followed that performance by going 2-1 and winning our pod featuring Team Florida, Team Georgia, and Team Alabama.   To date, ten player off the 2019 Team Carolina roster have committed with five of those to Power 5 Conference schools.  You can see the 2019 Team Carolina roster and stories on Team Carolina from the 2019 event HERE.  To see the full event coverage and stats from 2019, CLICK HERE.

On Sunday November 3rd, the next crop of prospects for the PBR Future Games gathered at the beautiful new facility in High Point, NC, BB&T Point.  Players ran through a full pro-style workout.  Position players ran a laser timed 60, went through an offensive workout, and then a defensive workout.  Pitchers threw a controlled bullpen where PBR scouts were able to gather advanced analytics with the F5 PitchLogic Baseball.

Today we dive into the statistics gathered by PBR Scouts at the event.  While individual statistics may not paint the entire picture it does allow for some feel for the strengths and weaknesses of the players involved at the Future Game Trials.  Several players put up very good days, improving numbers they had previously posted.  You can see the full roster from the Team Carolina Future Game Trials, with stats, HERE.

 

Team Carolina Future Game Trials: Statistical Analysis

 

THE 60 YARD DASH

The 60 has been used for a long period of time to gauge speed in baseball players.  A bit antiquated, it does allow scouts to compare players from different time periods and has become a standard testing distance for pro-style workouts.  During the Team Carolina Future Game Trials in High Point, players ran on a laser timed course.  The surface at the event was an artificial turf.   Three times came in under 7.20, with several players improving their 60 time on their PBR Profile.  A total of 21 players ran the sixty.  The median time for the laser timed 60 checked in at 7.37.

 

EXIT VELOCITY

During the offensive portion of the day, players worked through an exit velocity testing station.  At this station, players attacked a ball on a tee with a radar gun reading the exit velocity of the ball off the barrel.  Players had the chance to swing their own bat, plus bats provided by Mizuno.  The numbers below are only from the exit velocity station.  The top exit velocity checked in at 93 mph and 3 players registered a speed of 90 mph or higher in the testing.  The median exit velocity from the Future Game Trials was 83 mph.

 

POSITIONAL VELOCITY – INFIELDERS

Infielders were able to workout at Shortstop in the pro-style portion of the Uncommitted Upperclass Games.  Players were hit a variety of ground balls, moving to secure the ball before transitioning the ball into a throw across the diamond.  Scouts are evaluating multiple areas during this session.  Arm strength, carry, accuracy, and ease of actions can all be marked.  PBR scouts add a radar gun to give a number to the arm strength.  While the radar reading does not tell the entire story, it does give evaluators a feel for pure arm strength.  15 infielders worked out from either shortstop or 1B.  The top radar reading across the diamond registered at 84 mph, with a median reading of 75 mph.

 

POSITIONAL VELOCITY – OUTFIELDERS

Similar to the infielders, there are several data points that evaluators are looking for as outfielders took batted balls from right field, making throws to home plate.  PBR scouts, again, took radar readings on each throw, giving scouts a chance to gauge arm strength with a solid number.  Six outfielders worked out from right field.  The top positional throw marked at 86 mph.  The median outfield throw for the group was at 80 mph.

 

CATCHER POP TIMES & POSITIONAL VELOCITY

In the pro-style workout, catchers workout from behind home plate, making multiple throws to 2B, simulating a stolen base attempt.  Scouts again are looking for a quick, clean transition to the release as well as carry and accuracy on the throw.  For catchers, evaluators will put a stopwatch on the “pop time” or the time the ball hits their glove to the time the ball hits the MIF’s glove at 2B.  Coaches can also time the transition from when the ball hits the catchers glove to when he is able to release his throw.  PBR scouts add the radar gun to put a number on the arm strength out of the crouched position.  The top pop time in the workout was a 2.07, with a median time from the group of 4 catchers of 2.15.  The top positional velocity checked in at 76 mph out of the hand, while the median for the group clocked in at 74 mph.

 

MAX FASTBALL

Pitchers threw in a controlled bullpen at BB&T Point Stadium for PBR and scouts in attendance.   In the bullpen, Pitchers used the PitchLogic Baseball from F5 Sports and more will be coming from the pitchers in attendance.  While scouts are evaluating stuff, mechanics, efficiency, and command, velocity can be a key component in an evaluation.  PBR used the new Stalker Pro SII radar gun to collect velocity on each arm while they threw live in the game.  Six arms threw at the event with the top fastball registering at 82 mph.  The median top fastball came in at 80 mph.