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 seven shortstop in Pennsylvania's 2023 class, Michael DiMartini.

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.

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 of the bat is measured 6 inches from the knob of the bat. -Blast Motion 

Rotational Acceleration- A measure of how quickly the hitter gets from the 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 ANALYSIS

We got a chance to catch up with DiMartini this fall at the 2020 US Elite Scout Day and as one of the youngest players at the event, he certainly stood out. Let's take a deeper look into the numbers.

Exit Velocity- For any player at the high school level, generally, I like seeing exit velocities above 85 MPH. With some of the older players I like when that number jumps above 90. DiMartini's max exit velocity of 96.52 MPH was impressive for any high school bat, but even more so for a 2023 grad. His average exit velocity was just a tick under 91 MPH as well, showcasing his ability to make consistent hard contact. Both his max and average exit velocities were good for second in the event and when you couple that with playing a premium position like DiMartini does, it opens some eyes. 

Distance- Along with the impressive exit velocity, he was able to flash a little power as well, evident by his max distance of 343 ft. He was able to place in the top 10 for the event in the max distance category, and with age and some adjustments at the plate, that number will only continue ton climb. While the average distance is quite different to the max distance, that has more to do with his current approach at the plate than anything. Let's dive deeper into that.

Batted Ball Percentages- First things first, let's highlight the hard hit %, at 66.7% this is where I like to see hitters, above the 60% mark. Hitting the ball hard once in a while is good, but consistently hitting the ball hard is ideal. Aside from the hard hit %, the other number that stood out to me was his 58.3% ground ball %. Higher than any other percentages, his ground ball % is the main culprit to why we see such a large gap between the max and average distances. Hitting ground balls can find success, especially with the sub-7 60-yard dash speed that DiMartini shows, but I'd like to see him even these numbers out a bit. A line drive approach is generally the best way for all players to find success no matter how hard you hit the ball, but with the advanced exit velocities, they are able to find gaps as well and do extra-base damage. Ideally, if he could hit more balls on a line and in the air, he will be able to make better use of his exit velocity numbers to find him success. 

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. 

Taking a look into the Blast Motion metrics for Michael DiMartini, there are a few things that stand out to me. His max bat speed was 74.5 MPH, an above average clip for high schoolers. His average bat speed still places him slightly above high school average at 71.76 MPH. Along with the bat speed numbers, his hand speed was also very solid at a max of 22.4 MPH and an average of 21.24 MPH, grading him out as about average among high school players. With his age, these are both solid numbers and I'd imagine they will only continue to jump as he matures physically and adds some strength. Another number that he could improve upon is the on-plane efficiency %. Currently at 58%, there's some room for improvement to get to that magic number of 70% in this category. This is not to bash DiMartini, just highlighting that there are areas for improvement still, and that he is able to still put up great results. If he is able to improve upon that number, he'd find even more consistency in hitting the ball hard and would become an even tougher out. 

CONCLUSION

To quote Pennsylvania's Director of Scouting, Greg Williams, DiMartini can just be described as a "dude." No better way to put it, this kid can just flat out play. While he is uncommitted currently, don't expect him to be out there too much longer as I can't imagine too many schools who aren't interested in up-the-middle guys who can swing it. We look forward to catching up with DiMartini as the 2021 season grows closer and closer.