O'Hare Preseason I.D.: TrackMan Files
March 18, 2021
On March 13, the PBR Illinois team hosted the first-ever O'Hare Preseason I.D. at the new Bo Jackson Dome in Bensenville, Ill. The event featured approximately 130 players from high school graduates in classes 2021-24, from across the Chicagoland area.
Our staff collaborated in the days that followed to highlight the biggest takeaways and highlights from Saturday’s showcase, and we’'ve published them throughout the week with our Quick Hits and Statistical Analysis. Today, we'll look into the analytical side of things with the help of the TrackMan unit we had on site.
MAX FASTBALL VELOCITY & PEak SPIN RATE
Max Fastball Velocity: This metric calculates the speed of the pitch as it’s released from the pitcher’s hand.
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.
AVERAGE FASTBALL HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT
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.”
AVERAGE SLIDER SPIN RATE
AVERAGE CURVEBALL SPIN RATE
AVERAGE CHANGEUP HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT
AVERAGE EXIT VELOCITY (HITTING)
Exit Speed: Also according to TrackMan’s own website: “The speed of the ball, measured in miles per hour, as it comes off the bat at the moment of contact.”
PEAK EXIT VELOCITY (HITTING)
PEAK ESTIMATED BATTED DISTANCE (HITTING)
For a complete look at each of the statistics measured at this showcase, CLICK HERE.