Pitcher-Only Future Games Trials: Pitching Data Dive
March 31, 2024
On Friday, March 29th the Prep Baseball Ontario staff hosted the annual Pitcher-Only Future Games Trials at the NRS Institute in East York, Ontario. Future Games Trials serve as an opportunity for players who are age-eligible for our two premiere team's heading to LakePoint in late July for the annual Future Games event... Future Games (2026/2027) and Senior Future Games (2025). Canada will also featued a Jr. Future Games team at the event with Ontario's Trials coming on Monday at the Athlete Matrix.
This event featured roughly 35 arms prospects from the across the province in the 2025 - 2027 classes and allowed our staff an opportunity to get an in-depth look at the players, as well as collect updated metrics via our tech partner TrackMan.
Below, we will take a further in-depth look at the top pitchers with the help of our TrackMan, broken down by the categories down below:
For complete event results, click here.
To view upcoming event schedule, click here.
FASTBALL
MAX VELOCITY (MPH)
Max Fastball Velocity: This metric calculates the speed of the pitch as it’s released from the pitcher’s hand.
SPIN RATE (AVG)
Spin Rate: This metric calculates the rate of spin on the baseball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). Historical data shows that high-spin fastballs lessen the impact of gravity, allowing for more ‘rise’ (or less fall, in other words) as it carries through the zone. Low-spin fastballs typically indicate the pitch has greater horizontal action, often making it tougher to square up, but generally easier to make contact with, leading to more ground balls, while high-spin fastballs show a correlation with swings and misses.
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Induced Vertical Break: Used in short form as "IVB," this metric is most important on fastballs for creating rise and on curveballs for creating depth – it can also have some use when measuring sliders and cutters as well. Sliders tend to be closer to zero inches while cutters are generally between 5 and 15 inches. Usually fastballs and curveballs with large IVB have higher spin efficiencies as well. Sliders generally have very little (closer to zero) IVB and very low spin efficiency. You could also categorize IVB into spin rate as this is part of the “useful movement” you’re looking for. IVB is also a huge part of the vertical approach angle.
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Horizontal Break: Outlined on TrackMan’s own website: “... horizontal movement is measured in inches between where the pitch actually crosses the front of home plate side-wise, and where it would have crossed home plate side-wise if had it traveled in a perfectly straight line from release. A positive number means the break was to the right from the pitcher’s perspective, while a negative number means the break was to the left from the pitcher’s perspective.”
STRIKE ZONE %
CURVEBALL
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
STRIKE ZONE %
CHANGEUP
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
UPCOMING EVENTS
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| 2024 Junior Future Games Trials 4.1.24 | ON | 04/01 | The Athlete Matrix |
| 2024 Spring Future Games Trials II 4.6.24 | ON | 04/06 | Campus Fieldhouse |
| 2024 Team Ontario Scout Day | ON | 04/17 | The Dugout |
| 2024 Ontario Blue Jays Scout Day | ON | 04/18 | The Athlete Matrix |
| 2024 Terriers Scout Day | ON | 04/24 | King's Christian Collegiate |
| 2024 18U Best of the West | ON | 05/01 | Norbrock Stadium (Kamloops, BC) |
| 2024 15U Best of the West | ON | 05/01 | Norbrock Stadium (Kamloops, BC) |
| 2024 Canadian Trials | ON | 05/09 | TNXL Academy - Ocoee, FL |
| 2024 New England Academic Games (Invite Only) | ON | 07/09 | Yale |
| Future Games (Class of 2026/27) | NATIONAL | 07/24 | LakePoint Sports |
| Junior Future Games (Class of 2028/29) | NATIONAL | 07/24 | LakePoint Sports |
| Senior Future Games (Class of 2025) | NATIONAL | 07/24 | LakePoint Sports |
| 2024 Toronto Summer Open | ON | 07/30 | Dan Lang Field |
| 2024 Midwest Super Sophomore Games (Invite Only) | ON | 08/02 | Indiana University - Bart Kaufman Field |
| Improve My Profile with Game Video (Ontario) | ON | 08/29 | Ontario |