McHenry Preseason ID: Pitching Data Dive
February 16, 2023
On Feb. 11, the PBR Illinois team hosted its second Preseason ID event of the 2023: the McHenry Preseason ID. For the past seven years, this event has provided our staff with an opportunity to evaluate high school-aged prospects from northern Illinois, primarily. The McHenry event has historically revealed to us some of the area’s top talent, and this year was no different.
Yesterday, we broke down the top measurable data performers from the event with our Statistical Analysis. Earlier today, we took a closer look at some of the immediate standouts who caught our attention with our Quick Hits. 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:
TRACKMAN
FASTBALL
VELOCITY (MAX)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Velocity (max) |
1 | Ethan Dorchies | IL | Cary-Grove | 2024 | RHP | 91.5 mph |
2 | AJ Putty | IL | Huntley | 2025 | 1B | 87.5 mph |
3 | Kenny Nanos | IL | Mundelein | 2024 | RHP | 87.5 mph |
4 | Mark Takasaki | IL | Jacobs | 2024 | C | 87.0 mph |
5 | Noah Cryns | IL | Evanston Township | 2024 | RHP | 86.2 mph |
6 | Drew Borkowski III | IL | Huntley | 2026 | RHP | 85.5 mph |
7 | Calen Scheider | IL | Hampshire | 2025 | RHP | 85.2 mph |
8 | John Gariepy | IL | Crystal Lake Central | 2025 | RHP | 84.6 mph |
9 | Quinn Drews | IL | Huntley | 2024 | C | 83.6 mph |
10 | Tyler Tylka | IL | Wauconda | 2024 | RHP | 83.5 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 | Charlie Taczy | IL | Cary-Grove | 2025 | RHP | 2301 rpm |
2 | Ethan Dorchies | IL | Cary-Grove | 2024 | RHP | 2246 rpm |
3 | Brady Klepfer | IL | Huntley | 2026 | C | 2221 rpm |
4 | Carter Piecuch | IL | Huntley | 2024 | RHP | 2187 rpm |
5 | Danny Newman | IL | Wauconda | 2024 | LHP | 2160 rpm |
6 | Cole Kenyon | IL | Lake Zurich | 2025 | RHP | 2159 rpm |
7 | Jake Chrzastowski | IL | Grant Community High School | 2025 | RHP | 2157 rpm |
8 | Nick Coletta | IL | Lake Zurich High School | 2025 | 1B | 2151 rpm |
9 | Johnny Geisser | IL | Crystal Lake Central | 2026 | RHP | 2113 rpm |
10 | Josh Rudnick | IL | Huntley | 2026 | RHP | 2101 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 | John Dollinger | IL | Grant | 2026 | C | 20.8 in |
2 | Brandon Pelz | IL | Bartlett | 2026 | SS | 19.5 in |
3 | Jackson Kocent | IL | Mchenry High School-west Campus | 2026 | RHP | 18.8 in |
4 | Shane Pfeiffer | IL | Hampshire | 2026 | 2B | 18.1 in |
5 | Ethan Riska | IL | McHenry | 2026 | OF | 17.6 in |
6 | Brady Klepfer | IL | Huntley | 2026 | C | 17.1 in |
7 | Hayden DeMarsh | IL | Dundee Crown | 2025 | 3B | 16.9 in |
8 | Mitchell Breeden | IL | McHenry Community High School | 2026 | RHP | 16.7 in |
9 | Kenny Nanos | IL | Mundelein | 2024 | RHP | 16.4 in |
10 | AJ Putty | IL | Huntley | 2025 | 1B | 16.3 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 | Michael Zawilenski | IL | ST VIATOR HIGH SCHOOL | 2025 | OF | 18.8 |
2 | Jackson Cavaliero | IL | Barrington High School | 2025 | MIF | 17.3 |
3 | Eric Suarez | IL | Huntley | 2025 | OF | 17.2 |
4 | Calen Scheider | IL | Hampshire | 2025 | RHP | 16.5 |
5 | Quinn Drews | IL | Huntley | 2024 | C | 16.3 |
6 | Logan Stockton | IL | Hononegah | 2024 | 2B | 15.4 |
7 | Robert Miller | IL | Vernon Hills | 2026 | SS | 15.3 |
8 | Kenny Nanos | IL | Mundelein | 2024 | RHP | 15.3 |
9 | Jacob Dorn | IL | Barrington High School | 2025 | OF | -15.1 |
10 | Hayden DeMarsh | IL | Dundee Crown | 2025 | 3B | 14.9 |
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 | Brady Klepfer | IL | Huntley | 2026 | C | 85 % |
2 | Michael Zawilenski | IL | ST VIATOR HIGH SCHOOL | 2025 | OF | 83 % |
3 | Rocco Lentine | IL | Huntley | 2026 | C | 66 % |
^ | Tyler Tylka | IL | Wauconda | 2024 | RHP | 66 % |
4 | Kyle Steffey | IL | Huntley High School | 2026 | OF | 62 % |
^ | Ethan Dorchies | IL | Cary-Grove | 2024 | RHP | 62 % |
5 | Johnny Geisser | IL | Crystal Lake Central | 2026 | RHP | 60 % |
^ | Quinn Drews | IL | Huntley | 2024 | C | 60 % |
CURVEBALL
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Rate (avg)
1
Cole Kenyon
IL
Lake Zurich
2025
RHP
2627 rpm
2
Jackson Murphy
IL
Wauconda
2025
OF
2529 rpm
3
Carson Young
IL
Antioch
2025
RHP
2311 rpm
4
Tyler Tylka
IL
Wauconda
2024
RHP
2288 rpm
5
Jacob Dorn
IL
Barrington High School
2025
OF
2264 rpm
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Jacob Dorn
IL
Barrington High School
2025
OF
-17.5 in
2
Jackson Murphy
IL
Wauconda
2025
OF
-17.4 in
3
Quinn Drews
IL
Huntley
2024
C
-13.8 in
4
Tyler Tylka
IL
Wauconda
2024
RHP
-13.3 in
5
Danny Newman
IL
Wauconda
2024
LHP
-12.3 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Josh Rudnick
IL
Huntley
2026
RHP
-17.7
2
Jack Dahlem
IL
Prairie Ridge High School
2026
RHP
-17.5
3
Carter Kelley
IL
Crystal Lake Central
2025
LHP
16.1
4
Kenny Nanos
IL
Mundelein
2024
RHP
-15.5
5
Brandon Pelz
IL
Bartlett
2026
SS
-15.3
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Carson Young
IL
Antioch
2025
RHP
100 %
2
Ethan Riska
IL
McHenry
2026
OF
80 %
^
Brandon Pelz
IL
Bartlett
2026
SS
80 %
^
Jacob Dorn
IL
Barrington High School
2025
OF
80 %
3
Cole Kenyon
IL
Lake Zurich
2025
RHP
75 %
^
Colby Aschenbach
IL
Huntley
2024
RHP
75 %
4
Evan Dahl
IL
Lakes Community
2024
OF
66 %
^
Jackson Kocent
IL
Mchenry High School-west Campus
2026
RHP
66 %
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Rate (avg)
1
Cole Kenyon
IL
Lake Zurich
2025
RHP
2599
2
Mitchell Breeden
IL
McHenry Community High School
2026
RHP
2386
3
Charlie Taczy
IL
Cary-Grove
2025
RHP
2363
4
Scott Cole
IL
McHenry
2026
OF
2292
5
Nick Coletta
IL
Lake Zurich High School
2025
1B
2263
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
John Dollinger
IL
Grant
2026
C
10.8 in
2
Justin Ceisel
IL
Harry D Jacobs High School
2024
RHP
9.0 in
3
Zachary Readdy
IL
McHenry West
2025
RHP
-8.9 in
4
Quinn Drews
IL
Huntley
2024
C
-8.4 in
5
Jake Thorstenson
IL
Wauconda High School
2026
OF
8.2 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Johnny Geisser
IL
Crystal Lake Central
2026
RHP
-17.9
2
Cole Kenyon
IL
Lake Zurich
2025
RHP
-15.9
3
Quinn Drews
IL
Huntley
2024
C
-15.3
4
Jackson Cavaliero
IL
Barrington High School
2025
MIF
-15.0
5
Andrew Deegan
IL
Jacobs
2026
SS
-13.2
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Justin Ceisel
IL
Harry D Jacobs High School
2024
RHP
100 %
^
Ethan Riska
IL
McHenry
2026
OF
100 %
2
Jacob Wagner
IL
McHenry
2023
RHP
80 %
3
Charlie Taczy
IL
Cary-Grove
2025
RHP
75 %
^
Colby Aschenbach
IL
Huntley
2024
RHP
75 %
^
Kyle Steffey
IL
Huntley High School
2026
OF
75 %
4
John Gariepy
IL
Crystal Lake Central
2025
RHP
66 %
CHANGEUP
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Michael Zawilenski
IL
ST VIATOR HIGH SCHOOL
2025
OF
18.3
2
Charlie Taczy
IL
Cary-Grove
2025
RHP
18.1
3
Danny Newman
IL
Wauconda
2024
LHP
-17.9
4
Brady Klepfer
IL
Huntley
2026
C
17.8
5
Hayden DeMarsh
IL
Dundee Crown
2025
3B
17.5
6
Eric Suarez
IL
Huntley
2025
OF
17.1
7
Quinn Drews
IL
Huntley
2024
C
16.6
8
Jacob Wagner
IL
McHenry
2023
RHP
16.6
9
Logan Thennes
IL
Prairie Ridge High School
2026
1B
-16.5
10
Kenny Nanos
IL
Mundelein
2024
RHP
16.4
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Karson Stiefer
IL
Prairie Ridge
2025
LHP
100 %
^
Justin Ceisel
IL
Harry D Jacobs High School
2024
RHP
100 %
2
Jackson Cavaliero
IL
Barrington High School
2025
MIF
80 %
3
Jackson Kocent
IL
Mchenry High School-west Campus
2026
RHP
75 %
^
Nick Coletta
IL
Lake Zurich High School
2025
1B
75 %
^
John Gariepy
IL
Crystal Lake Central
2025
RHP
75 %
+ CLICK HERE for a look at the complete statistics from the event.