Northwest Suburban Open: Pitching Data Dive
July 20, 2023
On Tuesday, July 11, the PBR Illinois Staff hosted the Northwest Suburban Open at Wintrust Field in Schaumburg, IL. The event featured 60+ prospects and gave our scouting staff an quality look at players from all ranks of high school.
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.
Yesterday, we published 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 | Braden Grimm | IL | Evanston | 2024 | RHP | 87.6 mph |
2 | Peter Thompson | IL | Loyola Academy | 2025 | RHP | 87.2 mph |
3 | Matthew Steinberg | IL | St. Charles East | 2025 | RHP | 85.3 mph |
4 | Jackson Stahl | IL | Hononegah | 2026 | RHP | 83.9 mph |
5 | Maddux Clarence | IL | DeKalb | 2024 | C | 83.0 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
Braden Grimm
IL
Evanston
2024
RHP
2471 rpm
2
Peter Thompson
IL
Loyola Academy
2025
RHP
2379 rpm
3
Nathan Moline
IL
St. Charles East
2026
RHP
2369 rpm
4
Braden Mann
IL
Warren Township
2024
OF
2347 rpm
5
Maddux Clarence
IL
DeKalb
2024
C
2344 rpm
6
Jordan Shoemaker
IL
Metea Valley
2025
OF
2334 rpm
7
Zack Ziroli
IL
Downers Grove North
2025
LHP
2239 rpm
8
Jackson Stahl
IL
Hononegah
2026
RHP
2238 rpm
9
Sean Sherwood
IL
Prairie Ridge
2025
OF
2150 rpm
10
Simon Bromberek
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
2119 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
Maddux Clarence
IL
DeKalb
2024
C
18.8 in
2
Edgar Berge
IL
Maine East High School
2026
LHP
18.1 in
3
Bobby Pitula
IL
Lincoln-Way East High School
2027
RHP
17.7 in
4
Nathan Moline
IL
St. Charles East
2026
RHP
17.0 in
5
Peter Thompson
IL
Loyola Academy
2025
RHP
16.2 in
6
Christian Wolff
WI
Badger
2024
3B
15.5 in
7
Matthew Steinberg
IL
St. Charles East
2025
RHP
15.2 in
8
Aidan Nelson
IL
Notre Dame College Prep
2025
RHP
14.5 in
9
Sean Sherwood
IL
Prairie Ridge
2025
OF
14.4 in
10
Peyton Tucker
WI
Beloit Turner
2027
RHP
13.9 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
Robby Stankus
IL
Bartlett
2024
RHP
20.1
2
Jackson Stahl
IL
Hononegah
2026
RHP
17.7
3
Christian Filas
IL
Grayslake North
2025
RHP
16.5
4
Zack Ziroli
IL
Downers Grove North
2025
LHP
-15.9
5
Nathan Moline
IL
St. Charles East
2026
RHP
15.3
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
Zack Ziroli
IL
Downers Grove North
2025
LHP
83 %
2
Simon Bromberek
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
71 %
3
Nathan Moline
IL
St. Charles East
2026
RHP
66 %
^
Declan Spinner
IL
New Trier
2024
LHP
66 %
^
Christian Wolff
WI
Badger
2024
3B
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
Jordan Shoemaker
IL
Metea Valley
2025
OF
2626 rpm
2
Peter Thompson
IL
Loyola Academy
2025
RHP
2580 rpm
3
Braden Grimm
IL
Evanston
2024
RHP
2539 rpm
4
Zack Ziroli
IL
Downers Grove North
2025
LHP
2501 rpm
5
Simon Bromberek
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
2481 rpm
6
Devin Haggerty
IL
Woodstock
2026
RHP
2260 rpm
7
Jackson Stahl
IL
Hononegah
2026
RHP
2255 rpm
8
Maddux Clarence
IL
DeKalb
2024
C
2255 rpm
9
Braden Behrens
IL
Jacobs
2025
RHP
2140 rpm
10
Aidan Nelson
IL
Notre Dame College Prep
2025
RHP
2116 rpm
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Peter Thompson
IL
Loyola Academy
2025
RHP
-17.5 in
2
Jordan Shoemaker
IL
Metea Valley
2025
OF
-14.1 in
3
Peyton Tucker
WI
Beloit Turner
2027
RHP
10.2 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Jordan Shoemaker
IL
Metea Valley
2025
OF
-17.5
2
Zack Ziroli
IL
Downers Grove North
2025
LHP
17.2
3
Simon Bromberek
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
-15.0
4
Matthew Steinberg
IL
St. Charles East
2025
RHP
-14.8
5
Bobby Pitula
IL
Lincoln-Way East High School
2027
RHP
-13.1
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Braden Behrens
IL
Jacobs
2025
RHP
80 %
2
Simon Bromberek
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
75 %
3
Braden Grimm
IL
Evanston
2024
RHP
50 %
^
Grant Statler
IL
Hononegah CHD High School
2027
LHP
50 %
^
Maddux Clarence
IL
DeKalb
2024
C
50 %
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Rate (avg)
1
Braden Grimm
IL
Evanston
2024
RHP
2569
2
Peter Thompson
IL
Loyola Academy
2025
RHP
2546
3
Christian Filas
IL
Grayslake North
2025
RHP
2534
4
Jordan Shoemaker
IL
Metea Valley
2025
OF
2467
5
Simon Bromberek
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
2413
6
Maddux Clarence
IL
DeKalb
2024
C
2344
7
Nathan Moline
IL
St. Charles East
2026
RHP
2289
8
Devin Haggerty
IL
Woodstock
2026
RHP
2226
9
Braden Mann
IL
Warren Township
2024
OF
2168
10
Aidan Nelson
IL
Notre Dame College Prep
2025
RHP
2065
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Matthew Steinberg
IL
St. Charles East
2025
RHP
7.7 in
2
Robby Stankus
IL
Bartlett
2024
RHP
7.7 in
3
Nathan Moline
IL
St. Charles East
2026
RHP
5.4 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Christian Filas
IL
Grayslake North
2025
RHP
-19.2
2
Braden Mann
IL
Warren Township
2024
OF
-16.7
3
Simon Bromberek
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2024
RHP
-15.3
4
Jordan Shoemaker
IL
Metea Valley
2025
OF
-13.3
5
Robby Stankus
IL
Bartlett
2024
RHP
-12.3
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Robby Stankus
IL
Bartlett
2024
RHP
60 %
^
Nathan Moline
IL
St. Charles East
2026
RHP
60 %
^
Maddux Clarence
IL
DeKalb
2024
C
60 %
2
Peter Thompson
IL
Loyola Academy
2025
RHP
50 %
^
Joshua Jacques
IL
Stagg
2026
C
50 %
CHANGEUP
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Matthew Steinberg
IL
St. Charles East
2025
RHP
23.2
2
Jason Wolter
IL
Huntley High School
2024
C
20.3
3
Nathan Moline
IL
St. Charles East
2026
RHP
18.1
4
Braden Grimm
IL
Evanston
2024
RHP
17.0
5
Declan Spinner
IL
New Trier
2024
LHP
-16.8
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Score (max)
1
Jordan Shoemaker
IL
Metea Valley
2025
OF
31
2
Nathan Moline
IL
St. Charles East
2026
RHP
31
+ CLICK HERE for a look at the complete statistics from the event.
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