South Suburban Open: Pitching Data Dive
June 26, 2023
On Tuesday, June 20th the PBR Illinois team hosted the South Suburban Open at Ozinga Field in Crestwood, IL. This open event was for all high school classes (2024-27), and gave our staff a chance to get a look at 30+ uncommitted prospects before the summer gets into full swing.
For a closer look at the showcase details and the technologies we'll have on-site to assist our in-person evaluation for all in attendance, click here. For a complete look at those registered to attend this event, view the most up-to-date version of the roster by clicking here.
Friday, we took a closer look at some of the immediate standouts who caught our attention with our Quick Hits and 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 | Andrew Dawson | IL | Oak Forest | 2026 | RHP | 86.5 mph |
2 | Wilson Wemhoff | IL | Hampshire | 2025 | OF | 86.1 mph |
3 | Brady Backes | IL | La Salle-Peru | 2025 | RHP | 85.6 mph |
4 | Ethan Highfill | IL | Sandburg | 2024 | OF | 83.6 mph |
5 | Jack Wilson | IL | New Trier | 2024 | RHP | 83.3 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
Jack Wilson
IL
New Trier
2024
RHP
2389 rpm
2
Nicholas Cutaia
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
2292 rpm
3
Hunter Johnson
IL
Oak Forest
2024
SS
2252 rpm
4
Brady Backes
IL
La Salle-Peru
2025
RHP
2201 rpm
5
Gabriel Kotwasinski
IL
Fenwick
2024
RHP
2147 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
Javon Carter
IL
Kenwood Academy
2026
SS
19.9 in
2
Robert Soto Jr
IL
Reavis
2027
C
19.7 in
3
Padraig Hurley
IL
Illinois Lutheran
2026
SS
18.8 in
4
Ethan Highfill
IL
Sandburg
2024
OF
18.8 in
5
Jace Binion
IL
Kenwood Academy
2026
3B
18.6 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
Gabriel Kotwasinski
IL
Fenwick
2024
RHP
15.1
2
Jack Wilson
IL
New Trier
2024
RHP
13.0
3
Cody DelFavero
IL
Morris
2024
OF
-12.8
4
Micheal Bailey
IL
Marian Catholic
2024
LHP
-12.6
5
Hunter Johnson
IL
Oak Forest
2024
SS
12.4
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
Micheal Bailey
IL
Marian Catholic
2024
LHP
80 %
^
Ethan Highfill
IL
Sandburg
2024
OF
80 %
2
Jace Binion
IL
Kenwood Academy
2026
3B
71 %
^
Padraig Hurley
IL
Illinois Lutheran
2026
SS
71 %
3
Hunter Johnson
IL
Oak Forest
2024
SS
66 %
^
Griffin Meeker
IL
Tremont High School
2026
SS
66 %
^
Gabriel Kotwasinski
IL
Fenwick
2024
RHP
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
Jack Wilson
IL
New Trier
2024
RHP
2387 rpm
2
Gabriel Kotwasinski
IL
Fenwick
2024
RHP
2361 rpm
3
Brady Backes
IL
La Salle-Peru
2025
RHP
2267 rpm
4
Ethan Highfill
IL
Sandburg
2024
OF
2262 rpm
5
Wilson Wemhoff
IL
Hampshire
2025
OF
2169 rpm
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Andrew Dawson
IL
Oak Forest
2026
RHP
-16.6 in
2
Karim Patterson
IL
Latin School of Chicago
2025
1B
-16.5 in
3
Jonny Lee
IL
Romeoville
2025
SS
-13.2 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Cody DelFavero
IL
Morris
2024
OF
18.1
2
Padraig Hurley
IL
Illinois Lutheran
2026
SS
-17.5
3
Karim Patterson
IL
Latin School of Chicago
2025
1B
15.2
4
Micheal Bailey
IL
Marian Catholic
2024
LHP
14.1
5
Wilson Wemhoff
IL
Hampshire
2025
OF
-14.0
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Brady Backes
IL
La Salle-Peru
2025
RHP
100 %
2
Griffin Meeker
IL
Tremont High School
2026
SS
60 %
^
Drew Rader
IL
University High School
2025
C
60 %
3
Ethan Highfill
IL
Sandburg
2024
OF
50 %
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Rate (avg)
1
Ethan Highfill
IL
Sandburg
2024
OF
2349
2
Jack Wilson
IL
New Trier
2024
RHP
2346
3
Nicholas Cutaia
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
2240
4
Brady Backes
IL
La Salle-Peru
2025
RHP
2221
5
Karim Patterson
IL
Latin School of Chicago
2025
1B
2189
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Jack Wilson
IL
New Trier
2024
RHP
-10.7 in
2
Karim Patterson
IL
Latin School of Chicago
2025
1B
-8.8 in
3
Padraig Hurley
IL
Illinois Lutheran
2026
SS
7.7 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Karim Patterson
IL
Latin School of Chicago
2025
1B
17.1
2
Jack Wilson
IL
New Trier
2024
RHP
-14.3
3
Jonny Lee
IL
Romeoville
2025
SS
-14.1
4
Ethan Highfill
IL
Sandburg
2024
OF
-13.8
5
Wilson Wemhoff
IL
Hampshire
2025
OF
-11.4
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Micheal Bailey
IL
Marian Catholic
2024
LHP
80 %
2
Jack Wilson
IL
New Trier
2024
RHP
75 %
3
Karim Patterson
IL
Latin School of Chicago
2025
1B
50 %
4
Padraig Hurley
IL
Illinois Lutheran
2026
SS
40 %
^
Ethan Highfill
IL
Sandburg
2024
OF
40 %
^
Jonny Lee
IL
Romeoville
2025
SS
40 %
5
Nicholas Cutaia
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
33 %
CHANGEUP
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Hunter Johnson
IL
Oak Forest
2024
SS
18.5
2
Micheal Bailey
IL
Marian Catholic
2024
LHP
-15.9
3
Jack Starcevich
IL
Thornton Fractional South
2024
SS
15.4
4
Ethan Highfill
IL
Sandburg
2024
OF
15.1
5
Jace Binion
IL
Kenwood Academy
2026
3B
14.5
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Score (max)
1
Jack Wilson
IL
New Trier
2024
RHP
30
2
Nicholas Cutaia
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
29
3
Hunter Johnson
IL
Oak Forest
2024
SS
29
+ CLICK HERE for a look at the complete statistics from the event.