Trackman Traits- Hitting: 2023 1B/LHP Bryce Zicaro (Cicero-North Syracuse)
January 21, 2021
Welcome back to the hitting side of Trackman Traits. In this series we will spotlight one player each week who stood out during this 2020 season and take a deeper dive into their numbers and take a look at some that really stand out. Since the implementation of the Trackman technology to our showcases this summer we have been fortunate enough to have seen a great deal of talent come through the system. Today, we will be taking a look at the number sixteen player in New York's 2023 class, Bryce Zicaro.
Before we get started, we'll go over and define some of the terminology being used in the piece.
Exit Velocity- this one's pretty simple but this metric measures the speed of the ball off the bat, measured in miles per hour (MPH).
Distance- another simple one, this metric measures how far the ball traveled or would travel if it was not obstructed, measured in feet.
Launch Angle- measures the vertical angle of the ball as it leaves the bat. Positive numbers represent balls traveling upward off of the bat and negative numbers mean the ball is traveling downward off of the bat.
Fly Ball %- Percentage of fly balls hit during a given set of batted ball events. Trackman defines a fly ball as any batted ball with a launch angle between 25 degrees and 49.9 degrees.
Line Drive%- Percentage of line drives hit during a given set of batted ball events. Trackman defines a line drive as any batted ball with a launch angle between 10 degrees and 24.9 degrees.
Ground Ball %- Percentage of ground balls hit during a given set of batted ball events. Trackman defines a ground ball as any batted ball with a launch angle below 9.9 degrees.
Hard Hit%- Percentage of batted balls with an exit velocity of 90 MPH or higher.
Bat Speed- The speed of the sweet spot of the bat at impact, measured in MPH. The sweet spot is measured 6 inches from the tip of the bat. - Blast Motion
Hand Speed- The speed of the handle of the bat just before impact, measured in MPH. The handle us measured 6 inches from the knob of the bat. - Blast Motion
Rotational Acceleration- A measure of how quickly the hitter gets from launch position to being on plane. This is measured in G-Force (g). - Blast Motion
On Plane Efficiency %- A measure of the percentage of your swing that was on the swing plane. -Blast Motion
TRACKMAN DATA ANALYSIS
We got a chance to get our eyes and technology on Zicaro a few times over the summer, including appearances at the NYS Games and the NY Futures in September. Today we'll be taking a deeper dive into the numbers he posted at the NY Futures Event. Let's dive in.
Exit Speed- The numbers Zicaro posted here are legit for any high school hitter, let alone a 2023 grad. To get some context on how impressive the numbers are, here is how he ranked in both max and average exit speed for the event:
Enough said here. Placing first and second in those two categories is a good way to stand out. That's big cat stuff right there.
Distance- His distance numbers here are both solid, his max distance being 311 feet and his average distance was 191 feet. Despite the advanced exit velocities, Zicaro finishes outside the top-20 in both of these categories for the event. Let's dive deeper into the reasoning behind this.
Batted Ball Percentages- Zicaro hit fly balls with the most regularity, hitting them 46.2% of the time. Next in line was the ground ball %, hitting them 30.8% of the time. This is where we begin to see why the average distance wasn't quite as impressive as it could have been if he got the ball in the air a bit more. Zicaro takes big hacks at the dish, never getting cheated at the plate. This is an all-or nothing type of approach, so in order to get it all, that involves creating some loft to get that ball launched in the air. He doesn't necessarily need to turn all of those ground balls into fly balls, but improving upon the 23.1% line drive % would help him find greater success at the plate as well.
BLAST CONNECTION
Trackman does a great job showing the outcomes of players swings and their batted ball events. Its data is results based, the best numbers come when you get off your best swing and make your best contact. Blast Motion technology, also implemented at the same time this summer as the Trackman, tracks the swing data of a player and can shine a light into what a player does well in their swing. When paired with Trackman data, it can paint a more complete picture of a hitter and help explain why a player is able to hit the ball harder, farther, and more consistently than others.
Zicaro put up some big Trackman numbers, but he also put up some big Blast Motion metrics as well. At the NY Futures event, there were a number of metrics that stood out to me. He swings quite a quick bat, with a max bat speed of 83.2 MPH and an average of 79.02 MPH. These numbers place him well above high school average and even above average amongst college and pro hitters, impressive stuff. His numbers at the NYS Games were even more eye-popping, reaching a max of 86.1 MPH bat speed. Those aggressive hacks are putting up some big numbers. He also put up big rotational acceleration numbers, maxing out at 22.9 G's and averaging 19.71 G's. Along with his hand speed numbers of a 24 MPH max and a 22.09 MPH average, it's no reason he is able to put up both impressive bat speed and exit velocity numbers.
CONCLUSION
Bryce Zicaro was a joy to watch this summer, more so than others that put up big numbers like he did. His love for the game is evident and he brings a ton of energy to the field every time he steps between the lines. I have a hard time blaming him for having so much fun swinging the bat when you're able to put up the numbers he can.
UPCOMING EVENTS