Prep Baseball Report

PBR IL: Harper JC Scout Day: Data Dive


Kevin Cronin
Tech Analyst, Area Scout

On Oct. 3, PBR Illinois hosted the Harper JC Scout Day at Harper College in Palatine, Ill. The event gave our staff an in-depth look at a number of intriguing players the Hawks have to offer for this coming spring season.

POSITIONAL TOOLS

TOP 60-TIMES

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos 60-yard
1 George Betevis Harper JC 2021 OF 6.60
2 Micah O'Neal Harper JC 2020 OF 6.70
3 Nicolas Castrovillari Harper JC 2021 SS 6.81
4 Ehinger Adrianza Harper JC 2021 SS 6.83
5 Quinton Johnston Harper JC 2022 RHP 6.97
6 Cole Ratliff Harper JC 2022 OF 6.99

MAX INF VELOCITY

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos INF Velo
1 Nicolas Castrovillari Harper JC 2021 SS 86
^ Ehinger Adrianza Harper JC 2021 SS 86
^ Justin Gadomski Harper JC 2021 SS 86
2 Quinton Johnston Harper JC 2022 RHP 83
3 Kaleb Nelson Northern Collegiate 2022 1B 79
^ Logan Leber Harper JC 2022 2B 79

MAX OF VELOCITY

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos OF Velo
1 George Betevis Harper JC 2021 OF 91
2 Micah O'Neal Harper JC 2020 OF 87
3 Cole Ratliff Harper JC 2022 OF 85

MAX C VELOCITY

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos C Velo
1 Kyle Odeshoo Harper JC 2022 C 77
2 Sean Holbrook Harper JC 2021 C 72
^ TJ Kutil Harper JC 2021 C 72

TOP POP-TIMES

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Pop Time
1 Kyle Odeshoo Harper JC 2022 C 1.97-2.13
2 TJ Kutil Harper JC 2021 C 2.07-2.15
3 Sean Holbrook Harper JC 2021 C 2.08-2.16

TRACKMAN

We'll continue to roll out the data we gathered from this event, starting with the analytics we have at our disposal from our TrackMan units. Below we'll look at which players had noteworthy batted ball and pitch data.

MAX FASTBALL VELOCITY & SPIN RATE

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Velocity (max)
1 Shawn Lacy Harper JC 2021 RHP 87.0 mph
2 Jermaine Salcedo Harper JC 2020 RHP 85.7 mph
3 Connor Fitzgerald Harper JC 2021 RHP 84.5 mph
4 JT Adams Harper JC 2020 RHP 84.0 mph
5 Jason Gutkowski Harper JC 2021 RHP 83.4 mph

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Spin Rate (max)
1 Jermaine Salcedo Harper JC 2020 RHP 2347 rpm
2 Shawn Lacy Harper JC 2021 RHP 2338 rpm
3 Connor Fitzgerald Harper JC 2021 RHP 2235 rpm
4 Jason Gutkowski Harper JC 2021 RHP 2229 rpm
5 Steven Byrne Harper JC 2022 RHP 2214 rpm

Max Fastball Velocity: This metric calculates the speed of the pitch as it’s released from the pitcher’s hand.

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.

AVERAGE FASTBALL HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos HM (avg)
1 Keaton Sirek Iowa Lakes CC 2021 LHP -18.1
2 Shawn Lacy Harper JC 2021 RHP 17.3
3 Steven Byrne Harper JC 2022 RHP 15.7
4 Joey Bisesi Rolling Meadows 2022 RHP 15.1
5 Antonio DeBartolo Harper JC 2022 RHP 14.3

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.”

AVERAGE CURVEBALL & SLIDER SPIN RATE

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Spin Rate (avg)
1 Jermaine Salcedo Harper JC 2020 RHP 2384 rpm
2 Jason Gutkowski Harper JC 2021 RHP 2370 rpm
3 Shawn Lacy Harper JC 2021 RHP 2122 rpm

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Spin Rate (avg)
1 Jason Gutkowski Harper JC 2021 RHP 2546
2 Jermaine Salcedo Harper JC 2020 RHP 2403
3 Connor Fitzgerald Harper JC 2021 RHP 2244

AVERAGE CHANGEUP HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos HM (avg)
1 Antonio DeBartolo Harper JC 2022 RHP 17.4
2 Jason Gutkowski Harper JC 2021 RHP 17.0
3 Keaton Sirek Iowa Lakes CC 2021 LHP -16.5
4 Shawn Lacy Harper JC 2021 RHP 15.4
5 Connor Fitzgerald Harper JC 2021 RHP 13.7

MAX EXIT VELOCITY (HITTING)

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Exit Velocity (max)
1 George Betevis Harper JC 2021 OF 98.2 mph
2 Kyle Odeshoo Harper JC 2022 C 97.3 mph
3 Justin Gadomski Harper JC 2021 SS 96.1 mph
4 Justin Cappis Triton JC 2021 C 96.0 mph
5 Ehinger Adrianza Harper JC 2021 SS 94.9 mph
6 Cole Ratliff Harper JC 2022 OF 94.5 mph
7 TJ Kutil Harper JC 2021 C 94.0 mph
8 Nathan Meister Hoffman Estates 2021 1B 93.9 mph
9 Micah O'Neal Harper JC 2020 OF 93.7 mph
10 Quinton Johnston Harper JC 2022 RHP 93.1 mph

MAX DISTANCE (HITTING)

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Distance (max)
1 Kyle Odeshoo Harper JC 2022 C 375 ft
2 Matthew Schalk Harper JC 2021 1B 350 ft
3 Justin Cappis Triton JC 2021 C 349 ft
4 Nathan Meister Hoffman Estates 2021 1B 347 ft
5 Cole Ratliff Harper JC 2022 OF 346 ft
6 Micah O'Neal Harper JC 2020 OF 346 ft
7 Ehinger Adrianza Harper JC 2021 SS 340 ft
8 TJ Kutil Harper JC 2021 C 338 ft
9 George Betevis Harper JC 2021 OF 336 ft
10 Justin Gadomski Harper JC 2021 SS 330 ft

BLAST MOTION

With the help of our Blast Motion sensors, we're analyzing the swing metrics measured at this open showcase.

HAND SPEED (PEAK & AVERAGE)

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Hand Speed (max)
1 George Betevis Harper JC 2021 OF 25.4 mph
2 Cole Ratliff Harper JC 2022 OF 25.2 mph
3 Kyle Odeshoo Harper JC 2022 C 24.7 mph
4 Kaleb Nelson Northern Collegiate 2022 1B 24.5 mph
5 John Swiderek Harper JC 2021 1B 24.4 mph

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Hand Speed (avg)
1 George Betevis Harper JC 2021 OF 24.1 mph
2 Cole Ratliff Harper JC 2022 OF 23.2 mph
3 Justin Gadomski Harper JC 2021 SS 22.7 mph
4 John Swiderek Harper JC 2021 1B 22.6 mph
5 Kyle Odeshoo Harper JC 2022 C 22.5 mph

Peak Hand Speed: The observed maximum speed as measured on the handle of the bat (measured six inches from the knob of the bat). Peak Hand Speed will occur prior to the moment of impact, very close to the commit time in the swing when the wrists unhinge.

BAT SPEED (AVERAGE)

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Bat Speed (avg)
1 Cole Ratliff Harper JC 2022 OF 75.2 mph
2 Justin Gadomski Harper JC 2021 SS 74.4 mph
3 George Betevis Harper JC 2021 OF 72.3 mph
4 John Swiderek Harper JC 2021 1B 72.1 mph
5 Ehinger Adrianza Harper JC 2021 SS 72.0 mph
6 Nicolas Castrovillari Harper JC 2021 SS 71.8 mph
7 Nathan Meister Hoffman Estates 2021 1B 71.4 mph
8 Micah O'Neal Harper JC 2020 OF 70.1 mph
9 Justin Cappis Triton JC 2021 C 69.9 mph
10 AJ Christoffer Rock Valley JC 2020 OF 69.4 mph

Bat Speed: The observed speed of the sweet spot of the bat at impact. The sweet spot of the bat is measured six inches from the tip of the bat.

ROTATIONAL ACCELERATION (PEAK & AVERAGE)

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Rot. Acc (max)
1 Kyle Odeshoo Harper JC 2022 C 29.4 g
2 Quinton Johnston Harper JC 2022 RHP 25.5 g
3 John Swiderek Harper JC 2021 1B 23.7 g
4 Cole Ratliff Harper JC 2022 OF 23.2 g
5 Kaleb Nelson Northern Collegiate 2022 1B 22.2 g

Rank Name School HS Grad Year Pos Rot. Acc (avg)
1 Kyle Odeshoo Harper JC 2022 C 25.4 g
2 John Swiderek Harper JC 2021 1B 20.3 g
3 Quinton Johnston Harper JC 2022 RHP 18.8 g
4 TJ Kutil Harper JC 2021 C 18.4 g
5 George Betevis Harper JC 2021 OF 17.5 g

Body Rotation: A swing that has the appropriate relative contributions of body and bat rotations is an efficient and Powerful swing that maintains proper sequencing. An efficient baseball swing is one in which the body creates the initial movements, which is then transferred to the arms and out to the bat, thereby maximizing Bat Speed through this proximal-to-distal kinematic sequencing movement pattern.

RELATED CONTENT