Rising Stars Preseason All-State: Pitching Data Dive
March 9, 2023
On March 4th, the PBR Georgia staff hosted the Rising Stars Preseason All-State showcase at LakePoint Sports hosting many of the state’s top players inside both the 2027 and 2028 classes. This event helped our staff gain a clearer picture of the the talent to come in the state of Georgia. These players will be names we keep an eye on as we play our full youth tournament schedule from now until Memorial Day. Inside today’s Pitching Data dive we will highlight the players with top metrics per Trackman.
Last week, we took a closer look at some of the immediate standouts who caught our attention with our Quick Hits. Sunday , 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 | Dexter McCleon Jr | GA | Buford | 2028 | OF | 84.9 mph |
2 | Caleb Hudson | GA | Carrollton High School | 2027 | OF | 83.3 mph |
3 | Jayzen Johnson | GA | Lumpkin County High School | 2027 | 3B | 82.0 mph |
4 | Ryan Trout | GA | North Oconee High School | 2027 | SS | 81.3 mph |
5 | Ander Elorriaga | GA | Mount Pisgah Christian | 2028 | C | 79.7 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 | Ander Elorriaga | GA | Mount Pisgah Christian | 2028 | C | 2218 rpm |
2 | Jayzen Johnson | GA | Lumpkin County High School | 2027 | 3B | 2110 rpm |
3 | Dexter McCleon Jr | GA | Buford | 2028 | OF | 2062 rpm |
4 | Tyson Ganas | GA | Houston County | 2027 | RHP | 2055 rpm |
5 | Ryan Trout | GA | North Oconee High School | 2027 | SS | 2041 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 | Carson Heath | GA | Carrollton | 2027 | LHP | 20.5 in |
2 | Benjamin Cagle | GA | Cartersville High School | 2028 | C | 18.9 in |
3 | Noah Cagle | GA | Cartersville High School | 2028 | 1B | 18.8 in |
4 | Brian Ward | GA | Union Grove Middle | 2028 | 1B | 17.7 in |
5 | Tyson Ganas | GA | Houston County | 2027 | RHP | 17.4 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
Ryan Trout
GA
North Oconee High School
2027
SS
-12.5
2
Jayzen Johnson
GA
Lumpkin County High School
2027
3B
-12.1
3
Logan Schoenthal
GA
Loganville
2028
LHP
11.7
4
Matthew zander
GA
Calhoun High School
2028
3B
-11.6
5
Miles Norman
GA
Parkview High School
2027
OF
-11.0
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
Wesley Blair
GA
Ringgold High School
2027
RHP
100 %
2
Davaun Dowdy
GA
North Springs
2027
OF
71 %
3
Jax Lathem
GA
THE HERITAGE SCHOOL
2027
C
60 %
^
Grant Kruger
TN
Green Hill
2027
C
60 %
^
Caleb Allen
GA
Ola
2028
SS
60 %
4
Ryan Trout
GA
North Oconee High School
2027
SS
57 %
5
Carson Heath
GA
Carrollton
2027
LHP
50 %
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
Miles Norman
GA
Parkview High School
2027
OF
2400 rpm
2
Jayzen Johnson
GA
Lumpkin County High School
2027
3B
2306 rpm
3
Matthew zander
GA
Calhoun High School
2028
3B
2170 rpm
4
Carson Heath
GA
Carrollton
2027
LHP
2159 rpm
5
Caleb Hudson
GA
Carrollton High School
2027
OF
2066 rpm
6
Peyton Chancey
GA
Gilmer County
2027
OF
1959 rpm
7
Ryan Trout
GA
North Oconee High School
2027
SS
1954 rpm
8
Kingston Jones
GA
Pope
2028
SS
1829 rpm
9
Jacob Biester
GA
East Paulding High School
2027
RHP
1793 rpm
10
Tyson Ganas
GA
Houston County
2027
RHP
1785 rpm
Induced Vertical Break (Avg.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Miles Norman
GA
Parkview High School
2027
OF
-9.2 in
2
Carson Heath
GA
Carrollton
2027
LHP
-8.9 in
3
Davaun Dowdy
GA
North Springs
2027
OF
8.8 in
4
Benjamin Cagle
GA
Cartersville High School
2028
C
-8.3 in
5
Kent Gresham
GA
Cartersville High School
2027
LHP
-8.1 in
Horizontal Movement (Avg.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Ryan Trout
GA
North Oconee High School
2027
SS
-12.5
2
Jayzen Johnson
GA
Lumpkin County High School
2027
3B
-12.1
3
Logan Schoenthal
GA
Loganville
2028
LHP
11.7
4
Matthew zander
GA
Calhoun High School
2028
3B
-11.6
5
Miles Norman
GA
Parkview High School
2027
OF
-11.0
6
Ben Chastain
GA
Harrison
2027
OF
-10.2
Strike Zone Rate %
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Brian Ward
GA
Union Grove Middle
2028
1B
100 %
^
Davaun Dowdy
GA
North Springs
2027
OF
100 %
^
Jayzen Johnson
GA
Lumpkin County High School
2027
3B
100 %
2
Matthew zander
GA
Calhoun High School
2028
3B
75 %
^
Caleb Allen
GA
Ola
2028
SS
75 %
3
Andrew Williams
GA
Buford High School
2027
RHP
66 %
^
Jacob Biester
GA
East Paulding High School
2027
RHP
66 %
^
Isaiah Rogers
GA
North Cobb
2027
OF
66 %
4
Cohen Fletcher
GA
Heritage High School
2027
OF
50 %
^
Tyson Ganas
GA
Houston County
2027
RHP
50 %
^
Ryan Trout
GA
North Oconee High School
2027
SS
50 %
5
Miles Norman
GA
Parkview High School
2027
OF
40 %
Slider
Spin Rate (Avg.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Ander Elorriaga | GA | Mount Pisgah Christian | 2028 | C | 2359 |
2 | Jayzen Johnson | GA | Lumpkin County High School | 2027 | 3B | 2198 |
3 | Jax Lathem | GA | THE HERITAGE SCHOOL | 2027 | C | 2119 |
4 | Wesley Blair | GA | Ringgold High School | 2027 | RHP | 1915 |
5 | Dexter McCleon Jr | GA | Buford | 2028 | OF | 1901 |
Induced Vertical Break (Avg.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Isaiah Rogers | GA | North Cobb | 2027 | OF | 10.0 in |
2 | Logan Schoenthal | GA | Loganville | 2028 | LHP | 7.8 in |
3 | Dylan Schoenthal | GA | Loganville | 2028 | LHP | 7.4 in |
4 | Ander Elorriaga | GA | Mount Pisgah Christian | 2028 | C | 6.5 in |
5 | Wesley Blair | GA | Ringgold High School | 2027 | RHP | 6.4 in |
Horizontal Movement (Avg.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Jayzen Johnson | GA | Lumpkin County High School | 2027 | 3B | -14.8 |
2 | Logan Schoenthal | GA | Loganville | 2028 | LHP | 13.0 |
3 | Cooper Reynolds | GA | Cartersville | 2027 | LHP | 11.5 |
4 | Dylan Schoenthal | GA | Loganville | 2028 | LHP | 10.8 |
5 | Jax Lathem | GA | THE HERITAGE SCHOOL | 2027 | C | -6.8 |
Strike Zone Rate %
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Zone % |
1 | Logan Schoenthal | GA | Loganville | 2028 | LHP | 100 % |
^ | Cooper Reynolds | GA | Cartersville | 2027 | LHP | 100 % |
2 | Jayzen Johnson | GA | Lumpkin County High School | 2027 | 3B | 66 % |
3 | Dexter McCleon Jr | GA | Buford | 2028 | OF | 50 % |
4 | Ander Elorriaga | GA | Mount Pisgah Christian | 2028 | C | 40 % |
Changeup
Spin Rate (Avg.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Dexter McCleon Jr | GA | Buford | 2028 | OF | 1869 rpm |
2 | Caleb Hudson | GA | Carrollton High School | 2027 | OF | 1744 rpm |
3 | Peyton Chancey | GA | Gilmer County | 2027 | OF | 1714 rpm |
4 | Matthew zander | GA | Calhoun High School | 2028 | 3B | 1696 rpm |
5 | Carson Heath | GA | Carrollton | 2027 | LHP | 1599 rpm |
Strike Zone Rate %
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Zone % |
1 | Ryan Trout | GA | North Oconee High School | 2027 | SS | 100 % |
2 | Isaiah Rogers | GA | North Cobb | 2027 | OF | 75 % |
^ | Jax Lathem | GA | THE HERITAGE SCHOOL | 2027 | C | 75 % |
3 | Andrew Williams | GA | Buford High School | 2027 | RHP | 66 % |
^ | Noah Cagle | GA | Cartersville High School | 2028 | 1B | 66 % |
4 | Logan Schoenthal | GA | Loganville | 2028 | LHP | 50 % |
^ | Kent Gresham | GA | Cartersville High School | 2027 | LHP | 50 % |
^ | Kingston Jones | GA | Pope | 2028 | SS | 50 % |
^ | Carson Heath | GA | Carrollton | 2027 | LHP | 50 % |
^ | Peyton Chancey | GA | Gilmer County | 2027 | OF | 50 % |
^ | Tyson Ganas | GA | Houston County | 2027 | RHP | 50 % |
^ | Aden Rucker | GA | Carrollton | 2027 | 3B | 50 % |
^ | Caleb Allen | GA | Ola | 2028 | SS | 50 % |
5 | Braden Little | GA | Gordon Lee High School | 2027 | OF | 33 % |
+ CLICK HERE for the rest of the event stats.