Welcome back to Trackman Traits. In this piece we will be dissecting the numbers the Trackman produces and the effect they can have on a pitcher's approach. Below there will be definitions of each category that we believe to be the most important for a young arm to keep in mind as well as breaking down an arm and giving suggestions on how they can improve their game. Keep in mind, in some categories it is better to be further away from average even if the numbers are wavering on below average. 

FASTBALL VELOCITY

Fastball velocity doesn't go much deeper than just looking at the numbers and comparing them to the graphic below! Fastball velocity complements just about all of the other metrics that are measured. If you throw hard, it makes all your other pitches/metrics even better.

FASTBALL SPIN RATE

Spin rate is a measurement that if you are below average or above average, you can pitch with more room for error. On the other hand, if you are average you should try to throw in the bottom half of the zone with exceptional command. High spin fastballs profile as one that is frequently described as having "late life". Low spin fastballs tend to profile as a fastball that has heavy feel to it. Pitch movement is still dependent on spin direction of the pitch but Trackman does not have that metric displayed on profiles. 

BAUER UNITS

Bauer Units are an easier way of determining how useful the spin numbers are compared to the velocity. We can calculate this metric by taking average spin rate and dividing it by average velocity. Bauer Units are useful because we can have a case of two pitchers with the same spin numbers, ex. 2200 RPM, but one pitcher throws 90 MPH and the other throws 83 MPH. The pitcher throwing 90 MPH with 2200 spin is not as impressive as the pitcher throwing 83 MPH with the same spin. Typically, we would tell the harder throwing pitcher to throw up in the zone purely off his velocity and his high spin, but because his Bauer Units would equate to around 24 that would be only 1 unit off of average (23), therefore he would want to hammer the bottom of the zone. On the other side, the pitcher throwing 83 MPH has a Bauer Unit measurement of 26 which is incredibly impressive. This would allow him to throw up in the zone even though his velocity is not blow away type numbers because he produces above average spin with that slated velocity. 

FASTBALL INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK

As far as deception and importance goes, fast induced vertical break (IVB) may be the most important. Induced vertical break is not what is sounds. IVB simply means the pitch is "breaking" upward from the average level a pitch falls from release to home plate. This is a stat that you want to stay away from being average at. Fortunately, this can be tweaked slightly depending on release height. To put it simply, the higher number =  more "rise" the pitch has compared to average. Lower number = more depth the pitch has to it. 

VERTICAL APPROACH ANGLE

Vertical Approach Angle (VAA) is essentially how steep or shallow the ball is entering the strike zone. The average entry into the zone is around -5.5 degrees for the Division 1 college level. Anything below or above that number is considered an outlier and would be ideal because it is not what the hitter is used to seeing. A VAA of -4.5 degrees would be considered a shallow entry, this, with some other variables mixed in (IVB, velocity, release height), allow for success up in the zone due to the "ride" or even sometimes "rising" effect. A VAA of -6 degrees would be considered a steep entry. This is the type of ball that has a lot of success in the bottom of the zone (including the same variables mentioned previously) because it feels like the pitcher is throwing it off Mt Everest. With the perfect combination of low IVB and high release it could be a very steep entry that would be hard to hit. 

 

 

 

Fastball Breakdown

Velocity: Edwards checks in around the top 25% of high school arms for velocity. We do know though, that left handed velocity is treated differently than right handed velocity. For Edwards to be throwing 84 MPH as a 2023 arm gives him a bright road ahead of him on the recruiting trail. This type of velocity gives Edwards the chance to occasionally overpower hitters at the plate

Spin Rate: With Edwards having on average about 1930 RPM on his fastball, he comes in just about "average" on the chart above. As we have discussed before, spin is not a do or die metric. It simply is a good metric to look at to determine the "projectability" of a fastball movement profile. So, according to Edwards spin numbers, his fastball should not have any type of outstanding movement, but just about average more than likely 

 Bauer Units: Bauer Units give us a good idea of the "expected" spin Kranzler produces for the velocity he is throwing. With a Bauer Unit measurement of 24, Edwards' spin is just a tick above where a typical 84 MPH fastball should be. This just means that he is not producing more or less spin than expected. Again, this measurement is not something that you want to be super concerned with. It is more valuable just to gauge you spin relative to your velocity. 

Induced Vertical Break: Edwards checks in with 16.9 inches of induced vertical break on his fastball. With this type of measurement, we will see Edwards just inside the top 75 and 50% for high school arms. Due to this being lower than average we can assume Edwards throws a "heavy" fastball that has some sink to it. This will allow him to find more success in the bottom of the zone versus the top half of the zone. This is because his ball is not holding the same plane it was released on as long as a high IVB fastball would. Again, by no means is this a bad thing. This just means that instead of throwing up in the zone where the ball would sink down into Broadway, Edwards should just throw it down the chute and let his fastball do the work and sink to the bottom the zone. This will induce ground balls and the occasional swing and miss over the ball.

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