South AL Preseason All-State: TrackMan Files
January 11, 2023
SARALAND, AL - The South AL Preseason All-State was held on Sunday, January 8th at Saraland High School in Saraland, AL. This event was an invite-only event that consisted of some of the top prospects from the 2023-2026 classes. These players went through extended pro-style workout that included batting practice using Trackman and Blast Motion, ran the 60 yard dash using Swift Performance, and much more. Pitchers were able to throw in simulated bullpens during the workout and were able to get numbers and metrics off of our Trackman unit, such as pitch velocity, spin rate, horizontal & vertical movement & much more. There were some players who showed up and continued to build off of prior performances, but there were also some new names who jumped onto our radar with a strong showing on Sunday.
Continuing off our post-event coverage for this event, we take a look back at some of the leaders from each statistical category recorded on the Trackman B1 unit. Please continue to check back over the next week, as we will release individual scouting reports on each player present at the event.
View entire event stats HERE.
MAX FASTBALL & AVERAGE SPIN RATE
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Velocity (max) |
1 | Connor Gatwood | AL | Baker | 2024 | RHP | 93.7 mph |
2 | Zach Stevens | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2023 | RHP | 92.3 mph |
3 | Drey Barrett | AL | Holtville | 2024 | SS | 88.9 mph |
4 | Aiden Wright | AL | Dale County | 2023 | OF | 87.5 mph |
5 | Connor Gehr | AL | Gulf Shores | 2024 | RHP | 87.1 mph |
6 | Jackson Stallworth | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2025 | LHP | 86.8 mph |
7 | Tanner Waldrop | AL | Auburn | 2024 | C | 86.6 mph |
8 | Alex Sherman | AL | UMS-Wright Preparatory | 2024 | RHP | 86.3 mph |
9 | Cam Warren | AL | Saraland | 2024 | SS | 85.8 mph |
10 | Charlie Cassingham | AL | Virgil Grissom High School | 2025 | SS | 85.1 mph |
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Connor Gatwood | AL | Baker | 2024 | RHP | 2465 rpm |
2 | Tanner Waldrop | AL | Auburn | 2024 | C | 2315 rpm |
3 | Connor Gehr | AL | Gulf Shores | 2024 | RHP | 2299 rpm |
4 | Alex Sherman | AL | UMS-Wright Preparatory | 2024 | RHP | 2248 rpm |
5 | Dylan Ackerman | AL | Daphne High School | 2025 | 1B | 2239 rpm |
6 | Zach Stevens | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2023 | RHP | 2213 rpm |
7 | Cam Warren | AL | Saraland | 2024 | SS | 2210 rpm |
8 | Drey Barrett | AL | Holtville | 2024 | SS | 2182 rpm |
9 | Ethan Kick | AL | Spanish Fort | 2024 | OF | 2164 rpm |
10 | Matthew Hopkinson | AL | TNXL Academy | 2026 | RHP | 2152 rpm |
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
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Connor Gatwood | AL | Baker | 2024 | RHP | 17.3 |
2 | Aiden Wright | AL | Dale County | 2023 | OF | 16.5 |
3 | Zach Jones | AL | Fairhope | 2025 | OF | 15.7 |
4 | Braden Martin | AL | LEE-SCOTT ACADEMY | 2027 | LHP | -14.2 |
5 | Drey Barrett | AL | Holtville | 2024 | SS | 13.8 |
6 | Coen Lambeth | AL | Baldwin County | 2026 | RHP | 12.3 |
7 | Zach Stevens | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2023 | RHP | 12.1 |
8 | Miles Drew Johnson | AL | Fairhope High School | 2025 | LHP | -11.6 |
9 | Alex Gaston | AL | MOBILE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | 2026 | RHP | 11.5 |
10 | Tanner Waldrop | AL | Auburn | 2024 | C | 11.1 |
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
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Zach Stevens | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2023 | RHP | 2731 |
2 | Connor Gehr | AL | Gulf Shores | 2024 | RHP | 2499 |
3 | Charlie Cassingham | AL | Virgil Grissom High School | 2025 | SS | 2449 |
4 | Tanner Waldrop | AL | Auburn | 2024 | C | 2442 |
5 | Cam Warren | AL | Saraland | 2024 | SS | 2338 |
6 | Jackson Stallworth | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2025 | LHP | 2274 |
7 | Connor Gatwood | AL | Baker | 2024 | RHP | 2244 |
8 | Dylan Ackerman | AL | Daphne High School | 2025 | 1B | 2225 |
9 | Ethan Kick | AL | Spanish Fort | 2024 | OF | 2187 |
10 | Alex Sherman | AL | UMS-Wright Preparatory | 2024 | RHP | 2185 |
Spin Rate: The metric calculates how fast the ball is spinning as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, reported in the number of times the pitched ball would spin per minute (“revolutions per minute” or “rpm”).
AVERAGE CURVEBALL SPIN RATE
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Zach Stevens | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2023 | RHP | 2679 rpm |
2 | Charlie Cassingham | AL | Virgil Grissom High School | 2025 | SS | 2625 rpm |
3 | Connor Gehr | AL | Gulf Shores | 2024 | RHP | 2550 rpm |
4 | Evan Hilliard | AL | Saraland | 2024 | 3B | 2270 rpm |
5 | Alex Gaston | AL | MOBILE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | 2026 | RHP | 2260 rpm |
6 | Alex Sherman | AL | UMS-Wright Preparatory | 2024 | RHP | 2226 rpm |
7 | Brady Richardson | AL | Enterprise High School | 2025 | SS | 2129 rpm |
8 | DJ Blackwood | AL | Daphne | 2027 | LHP | 2100 rpm |
9 | Drew Shiver | AL | Enterprise | 2023 | OF | 2078 rpm |
10 | Jackson Stallworth | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2025 | LHP | 2074 rpm |
Spin Rate: The metric calculates how fast the ball is spinning as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, reported in the number of times the pitched ball would spin per minute (“revolutions per minute” or “rpm”).
AVERAGE CHANGEUP HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Aiden Wright | AL | Dale County | 2023 | OF | 20.7 |
2 | Brody Tuinder | AL | Mary G Montgomery | 2024 | OF | 15.0 |
3 | Connor Gatwood | AL | Baker | 2024 | RHP | 14.6 |
4 | Alex Sherman | AL | UMS-Wright Preparatory | 2024 | RHP | 14.5 |
5 | Evan Hilliard | AL | Saraland | 2024 | 3B | 14.0 |
6 | DJ Blackwood | AL | Daphne | 2027 | LHP | -13.9 |
7 | Brady Richardson | AL | Enterprise High School | 2025 | SS | 13.4 |
8 | Jack Blanchard | AL | Daphne High School | 2026 | OF | 13.3 |
9 | Braden Martin | AL | LEE-SCOTT ACADEMY | 2027 | LHP | -13.2 |
10 | Miles Drew Johnson | AL | Fairhope High School | 2025 | LHP | -11.7 |
Horizontal Break: This metric measures the distance, 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.
PEAK EXIT VELOCITY (HITTING)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Exit Velocity (max) |
1 | Reece Mims | AL | Helena | 2024 | 1B | 103.1 mph |
2 | Zach Stevens | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2023 | RHP | 102.2 mph |
3 | Aiden Wright | AL | Dale County | 2023 | OF | 99.5 mph |
4 | Alexander Bennett | AL | Mobile Christian | 2024 | OF | 98.8 mph |
5 | John Stowers | AL | St. Paul's Episcopal | 2026 | C | 98.2 mph |
6 | Drew Shiver | AL | Enterprise | 2023 | OF | 97.8 mph |
7 | Tanner Waldrop | AL | Auburn | 2024 | C | 97.3 mph |
8 | Jackson Stallworth | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2025 | LHP | 97.0 mph |
9 | Brady Richardson | AL | Enterprise High School | 2025 | SS | 96.9 mph |
10 | Bryce Rivers | AL | Mobile Christian | 2026 | 3B | 96.7 mph |
11 | Hudson Robbins | AL | Saraland High School | 2026 | C | 95.8 mph |
12 | Drey Barrett | AL | Holtville | 2024 | SS | 95.8 mph |
13 | Gant Underwood | AL | Northside Methodist Academy | 2023 | 3B | 95.5 mph |
14 | Dylan Ackerman | AL | Daphne High School | 2025 | 1B | 95.0 mph |
15 | Cam Warren | AL | Saraland | 2024 | SS | 94.6 mph |
Exit Velocity: This metric measures the speed of the ball, measured in miles per hour, as it comes off the bat at the moment of contact.
PEAK ESTIMATED BATTED DISTANCE (HITTING)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Distance (max) |
1 | Zach Stevens | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2023 | RHP | 405 ft |
2 | Tanner Waldrop | AL | Auburn | 2024 | C | 384 ft |
3 | Reece Mims | AL | Helena | 2024 | 1B | 372 ft |
4 | Alexander Bennett | AL | Mobile Christian | 2024 | OF | 371 ft |
5 | Drey Barrett | AL | Holtville | 2024 | SS | 368 ft |
6 | John Stowers | AL | St. Paul's Episcopal | 2026 | C | 365 ft |
7 | Aiden Wright | AL | Dale County | 2023 | OF | 363 ft |
8 | Connor Robinson | AL | Faith Academy | 2023 | 3B | 357 ft |
9 | Jackson Stallworth | AL | Stanhope Elmore | 2025 | LHP | 352 ft |
10 | Cam Warren | AL | Saraland | 2024 | SS | 348 ft |
11 | Brady Richardson | AL | Enterprise High School | 2025 | SS | 346 ft |
12 | Cayden Boutwell | AL | Enterprise High School | 2025 | SS | 345 ft |
13 | Hudson Robbins | AL | Saraland High School | 2026 | C | 345 ft |
14 | Bryce Rivers | AL | Mobile Christian | 2026 | 3B | 343 ft |
15 | Tyler Johnson | AL | Wetumpka | 2025 | 3B | 341 ft |
Distance: This metric measures the estimated “carry flat” distance, measured in feet, meaning the distance that the ball travels before it lands, or would have landed if it were not caught or obstructed.
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