Preseason All-State, Underclass: Pitching Data Dive
March 7, 2023
On Feb. 25, the PBR Illinois staff hosted the Preseason All-State: Underclass showcase at The MAX in McCook, Ill., featuring many of the state’s top players inside both the 2025 and 2026 classes. This event helped our staff gain a clearer picture of the on-the-rise underclassmen in Illinois, and we’ll begin to break down the excellent thoroughly today and throughout the week. Inside today’s Quick Hits post, we’re highlighting the best of the best – the talent that exited the event as with arrows pointed way up headed into the spring.
Last week, we took a closer look at some of the immediate standouts who caught our attention with our Quick Hits. Yesterday, we published our statistical analysis, where we broke down the stat leaders from the more traditional categories. Today, 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 | Jack Bauer | IL | Lincoln-Way East | 2025 | LHP | 92.6 mph |
2 | Tucker King | IL | Lyons Township | 2025 | RHP | 91.0 mph |
3 | Blaine Williams | IL | Tremont | 2025 | C | 89.3 mph |
4 | Remo Indomenico | FL | THE FIRST ACADEMY | 2025 | OF | 89.1 mph |
5 | Caden Earing | IL | Mundelein Cons High School | 2025 | RHP | 89.0 mph |
6 | Will Carter | IL | Whitney Young | 2025 | RHP | 88.5 mph |
7 | Frank Costabile | IL | Stevenson | 2026 | OF | 88.4 mph |
8 | Daniel Kane | IL | Oak Park-River Forest | 2025 | RHP | 88.2 mph |
9 | Conor Essenburg | IL | Lincoln-Way West | 2025 | 1B | 88.0 mph |
10 | Nathan O'Donnell | IL | Providence Catholic | 2025 | 3B | 87.9 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
Ethan Bass
IL
Glenbrook North
2026
SS
2530 rpm
2
Hayden Peterson
IL
Batavia
2026
LHP
2480 rpm
3
Jackson Natanek
IL
Brother Rice
2025
SS
2413 rpm
4
Hunter Baugh
IL
Edwardsville
2026
SS
2365 rpm
5
Lincoln Causero
IL
John Hersey High School
2025
RHP
2341 rpm
6
Braden Deverman
IL
Normal University
2025
RHP
2314 rpm
7
Joe Olson
IL
St. Laurence
2025
LHP
2307 rpm
8
Tyler Townsend
IL
Sycamore
2026
RHP
2295 rpm
9
Chase Lockwood
IL
Libertyville
2026
RHP
2269 rpm
10
Jack Bauer
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2025
LHP
2265 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
Hayden Bernreuter
IL
Triad
2025
OF
18.7 in
2
Oliver Thulin
IL
Downers Grove North
2026
SS
18.2 in
3
Andrew McCormick
IL
Mount Carmel High School
2025
RHP
17.7 in
4
John Strzechowski
IL
St. Laurence
2026
RHP
17.4 in
5
Davis Weeks
IL
Dunlap
2025
SS
17.3 in
6
Samuel Chin
IL
St. Laurence
2026
LHP
17.2 in
7
Joshua Holst
IL
Libertyville
2025
LHP
16.9 in
8
Ryan Dabe
IL
Huntley
2025
OF
16.9 in
9
Isaiah Giganti
IL
Normal University
2026
RHP
16.9 in
10
Will Carter
IL
Whitney Young
2025
RHP
16.6 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
Joe Kelly
IL
Loyola Academy
2026
3B
19.5
2
Tucker King
IL
Lyons Township
2025
RHP
18.6
3
Jackson Newton
IL
Dunlap
2025
OF
-17.0
4
Conor Essenburg
IL
Lincoln-Way West
2025
1B
-16.9
5
Danny Sheehan
IL
Brother Rice
2025
LHP
-16.6
6
Daniel Kane
IL
Oak Park-River Forest
2025
RHP
16.6
7
Brayden Zilis
IL
Minooka
2025
SS
16.2
8
Joey Arend
IL
St. Charles East
2025
OF
-15.2
9
Antonio Brown Jr
IL
Homewood-Flossmoor
2026
RHP
15.0
10
Jack Bauer
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2025
LHP
-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
Paddy Roth
IL
St. Patrick
2026
RHP
100 %
^
Jory Crocker
IL
Willowbrook
2026
SS
100 %
2
Logan Wroughton
IL
Mt. Carmel - Chicago
2026
SS
83 %
^
Nathan O'Donnell
IL
Providence Catholic
2025
3B
83 %
^
Daniel Kane
IL
Oak Park-River Forest
2025
RHP
83 %
^
Brett Bounds
IL
Morris
2025
OF
83 %
3
Joshua Holst
IL
Libertyville
2025
LHP
80 %
^
John Strzechowski
IL
St. Laurence
2026
RHP
80 %
^
Nick Mandra
IL
St. Laurence
2026
SS
80 %
4
Hunter Baugh
IL
Edwardsville
2026
SS
71 %
^
Joe Olson
IL
St. Laurence
2025
LHP
71 %
5
Chase Lockwood
IL
Libertyville
2026
RHP
66 %
^
Oliver Thulin
IL
Downers Grove North
2026
SS
66 %
^
Hayden Bernreuter
IL
Triad
2025
OF
66 %
^
Liam Darre
IL
Batavia
2026
3B
66 %
^
David Leung
IL
Hinsdale Central
2025
LHP
66 %
Average MLB pitchers throw 62% strikes, and better pitchers throw strikes 65% of the time, or roughly 2:1 strikes to balls.
CURVEBALL
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Rate (avg)
1
Tyler Townsend
IL
Sycamore
2026
RHP
2622 rpm
2
Samuel Chin
IL
St. Laurence
2026
LHP
2588 rpm
3
Chase Lockwood
IL
Libertyville
2026
RHP
2503 rpm
4
Jackson Natanek
IL
Brother Rice
2025
SS
2482 rpm
5
Frank Costabile
IL
Stevenson
2026
OF
2424 rpm
6
Braden Deverman
IL
Normal University
2025
RHP
2291 rpm
7
Tucker King
IL
Lyons Township
2025
RHP
2288 rpm
8
Ethan Bass
IL
Glenbrook North
2026
SS
2286 rpm
9
Joe Kelly
IL
Loyola Academy
2026
3B
2281 rpm
10
Daniel Kane
IL
Oak Park-River Forest
2025
RHP
2262 rpm
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
David Leung
IL
Hinsdale Central
2025
LHP
-15.1 in
2
Tadgh Callaghan
IL
Brother Rice
2025
RHP
-14.0 in
3
Lucas Simulick
IL
Joliet Catholic
2026
SS
-13.7 in
4
Daniel Coyle
IL
St. Laurence
2026
3B
-13.0 in
5
Jake Rifenburg
IL
Benet Academy
2025
LHP
-13.0 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Lucas Simulick
IL
Joliet Catholic
2026
SS
-17.3
2
Samuel Chin
IL
St. Laurence
2026
LHP
16.6
3
Tucker King
IL
Lyons Township
2025
RHP
-16.4
4
Tyler Townsend
IL
Sycamore
2026
RHP
-15.3
5
Jackson Natanek
IL
Brother Rice
2025
SS
-14.6
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Jackson Newton
IL
Dunlap
2025
OF
100 %
2
Joe Olson
IL
St. Laurence
2025
LHP
75 %
3
Jake Ross
IL
Andrew
2025
RHP
66 %
^
David Leung
IL
Hinsdale Central
2025
LHP
66 %
^
Xander Metke
IL
Brother Rice
2025
1B
66 %
4
Danny Sheehan
IL
Brother Rice
2025
LHP
60 %
^
Colt Armbrust
IL
ST FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL
2025
RHP
60 %
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Rate (avg)
1
Jack Bauer
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2025
LHP
2743
2
Brayden Zilis
IL
Minooka
2025
SS
2427
3
Hayden Peterson
IL
Batavia
2026
LHP
2397
4
Remo Indomenico
FL
THE FIRST ACADEMY
2025
OF
2388
5
Ethan Bass
IL
Glenbrook North
2026
SS
2277
6
Colt Armbrust
IL
ST FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL
2025
RHP
2272
7
Blaine Williams
IL
Tremont
2025
C
2197
8
Frank Costabile
IL
Stevenson
2026
OF
2159
9
Owen Walsh
IL
St Ignatius
2025
RHP
2131
10
Isaac Harris
IL
Joliet West
2026
LHP
2071
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Hunter Baugh
IL
Edwardsville
2026
SS
-9.4 in
2
Blaine Williams
IL
Tremont
2025
C
8.5 in
3
Hayden Bernreuter
IL
Triad
2025
OF
-6.9 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Hayden Bernreuter
IL
Triad
2025
OF
22.3
2
Jack Bauer
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2025
LHP
16.6
3
Isaac Harris
IL
Joliet West
2026
LHP
15.3
4
Remo Indomenico
FL
THE FIRST ACADEMY
2025
OF
11.8
5
Hayden Peterson
IL
Batavia
2026
LHP
11.0
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Ethan Bass
IL
Glenbrook North
2026
SS
80 %
2
Hayden Bernreuter
IL
Triad
2025
OF
75 %
^
Davian Villalobos
IL
Chicago Hope Academy
2025
1B
75 %
3
Paddy Roth
IL
St. Patrick
2026
RHP
60 %
^
Isaiah Giganti
IL
Normal University
2026
RHP
60 %
CHANGEUP
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Jackson Newton
IL
Dunlap
2025
OF
-20.6
2
Joey Arend
IL
St. Charles East
2025
OF
-18.5
3
Samuel Chin
IL
St. Laurence
2026
LHP
-18.0
4
Brayden Zilis
IL
Minooka
2025
SS
17.9
5
Jake Rifenburg
IL
Benet Academy
2025
LHP
-17.3
6
Antonio Brown Jr
IL
Homewood-Flossmoor
2026
RHP
16.9
7
Hayden Bernreuter
IL
Triad
2025
OF
-16.8
8
Jack Bauer
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2025
LHP
-16.5
9
Remo Indomenico
FL
THE FIRST ACADEMY
2025
OF
-16.3
10
Joe Kelly
IL
Loyola Academy
2026
3B
16.2
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Score (max)
1
Colt Armbrust
IL
ST FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL
2025
RHP
32
2
Hayden Peterson
IL
Batavia
2026
LHP
31
3
Ethan Bass
IL
Glenbrook North
2026
SS
30
+ CLICK HERE for a look at the complete statistics from the event.