2023 Montana State Games: Pitching Data Dive
August 17, 2023
On August 13th & 14th, the PBR Nevada/Idaho travelled to Montana to host the inaugural Montana State Games at Legion Field at Heroes Park in Bozeman, Montana. This event featured 28 prospects from the 2024 - 2027 classes and allowed our staff an opportunity to get an in-depth first look at the talent in Montana.
Earlier this week we began our post-event coverage with our Quick Hits and Statistical Analysis article, highlighting top players at the event. Now, we will take a further in-depth look at the top pitchers with the help of our tech partnerships, broken down by the categories down below:
For complete event results, click here.
To view upcoming event schedule, click here.
FASTBALL
MAX VELOCITY (MPH)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Velocity (max) |
1 | Garrett Norick | MT | Bozeman | 2025 | RHP | 85.5 mph |
2 | Christopher Compton | MT | Sentinel | 2024 | RHP | 85.3 mph |
3 | Trapper Oster | MT | Florence-Carlton | 2024 | RHP | 82.7 mph |
4 | Augustus Musial | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | RHP | 81.9 mph |
5 | Carson Steinmetz | MT | Billings West | 2025 | 3B | 81.3 mph |
Max Fastball Velocity: This metric calculates the speed of the pitch as it’s released from the pitcher’s hand.
SPIN RATE (AVG)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Christopher Compton | MT | Sentinel | 2024 | RHP | 2244 rpm |
2 | Garrett Norick | MT | Bozeman | 2025 | RHP | 2078 rpm |
3 | Trapper Oster | MT | Florence-Carlton | 2024 | RHP | 2056 rpm |
4 | Augustus Musial | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | RHP | 1970 rpm |
5 | Cash Jones | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | LHP | 1968 rpm |
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.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Cash Jones | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | LHP | 16.8 in |
2 | Andrew Bartlome | MT | Beaverhead County | 2027 | 3B | 14.8 in |
3 | Carson Steinmetz | MT | Billings West | 2025 | 3B | 13.7 in |
4 | Jack Nye | MT | Gallatin | 2025 | C | 13.2 in |
5 | Quinn Pershing | MT | Bozeman | 2024 | 1B | 12.8 in |
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.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Cash Tasker | MT | Bozeman High School | 2026 | 3B | 12.3 |
2 | Augustus Musial | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | RHP | 12.2 |
3 | Gavin Schwend | MT | Billings West | 2026 | OF | -10.3 |
4 | Cash Jones | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | LHP | -9.6 |
5 | Logan Carr | MT | Huntley Project | 2026 | RHP | 8.6 |
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 RATE%
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Zone % |
1 | Christopher Compton | MT | Sentinel | 2024 | RHP | 87 % |
2 | Logan Carr | MT | Huntley Project | 2026 | RHP | 68 % |
3 | Jack Nye | MT | Gallatin | 2025 | C | 57 % |
4 | Trapper Oster | MT | Florence-Carlton | 2024 | RHP | 52 % |
5 | Quinn Pershing | MT | Bozeman | 2024 | 1B | 50 % |
CURVEBALL
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Andrew Bartlome | MT | Beaverhead County | 2027 | 3B | 2210 rpm |
2 | Logan Carr | MT | Huntley Project | 2026 | RHP | 2179 rpm |
3 | Quinn Pershing | MT | Bozeman | 2024 | 1B | 2102 rpm |
4 | Cash Jones | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | LHP | 2010 rpm |
5 | Jack Nye | MT | Gallatin | 2025 | C | 1925 rpm |
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Cash Jones | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | LHP | 16.8 in |
2 | Andrew Bartlome | MT | Beaverhead County | 2027 | 3B | 14.8 in |
3 | Carson Steinmetz | MT | Billings West | 2025 | 3B | 13.7 in |
4 | Jack Nye | MT | Gallatin | 2025 | C | 13.2 in |
5 | Quinn Pershing | MT | Bozeman | 2024 | 1B | 12.8 in |
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Logan Carr | MT | Huntley Project | 2026 | RHP | -10.0 |
2 | Andrew Bartlome | MT | Beaverhead County | 2027 | 3B | -6.0 |
3 | Quinn Pershing | MT | Bozeman | 2024 | 1B | 5.1 |
4 | Jack Nye | MT | Gallatin | 2025 | C | -3.3 |
5 | Cash Jones | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | LHP | 0.7 |
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Garrett Norick | MT | Bozeman | 2025 | RHP | 2610 |
2 | Christopher Compton | MT | Sentinel | 2024 | RHP | 2329 |
3 | Trapper Oster | MT | Florence-Carlton | 2024 | RHP | 2093 |
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Garrett Norick | MT | Bozeman | 2025 | RHP | -4.1 in |
2 | Christopher Compton | MT | Sentinel | 2024 | RHP | -2.6 in |
3 | Trapper Oster | MT | Florence-Carlton | 2024 | RHP | 1.2 in |
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Christopher Compton | MT | Sentinel | 2024 | RHP | -10.2 |
2 | Garrett Norick | MT | Bozeman | 2025 | RHP | -8.9 |
3 | Trapper Oster | MT | Florence-Carlton | 2024 | RHP | -3.8 |
CHANGEUP
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Augustus Musial | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | RHP | 10.8 |
2 | Cash Jones | MT | Gallatin | 2024 | LHP | -8.0 |
3 | Trapper Oster | MT | Florence-Carlton | 2024 | RHP | 2.1 |
UPCOMING EVENTS
SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
2023 PBR Hawaii State Games (2024-2028) | NV | 08/19 | Les Murakami Stadium |
Big Island Wood Bat Academy Scout Day (2024-2028) | NV | 08/20 | Walter Victor Field |
Northern Idaho Open (2024-2028) | NV | 09/09 | Lake City High School |
College of Southern Nevada Scout Day | NV | 10/03 | College of Southern Nevada |
College of Southern Idaho Scout Day | NV | 10/06 | College of Southern Idaho |
Southern Idaho Open (2024-2028) | NV | 10/07 | College of Southern Idaho |
Las Vegas Fall ID (2024-2028) | NV | 10/15 | College of Southern Nevada |
Northern Nevada Fall ID (2024-2028) | NV | 11/11 | Bishop Manogue High School |
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