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Prep Baseball North Carolina launched its 2025 coverage with the Preseason ID events on January 18 and 19. On Saturday, January 18, the Prep Baseball scouting team hosted players at the On Deck Baseball Academy in Charlotte, NC, for the Charlotte Preseason ID and Charlotte Rising Stars event. On Deck is a spacious facility that enables players to participate in a comprehensive pro-style workout, updating their stats, analytics, and video profiles.

The Preseason ID events provide high school players with an opportunity to assess their performance as they prepare for the spring season. These events offer a platform for athletes to evaluate the impact of their off-season training on their on-field potential. Additionally, players can update their Prep Baseball Player Profile, connecting with more than 1,000 college coaches and scouts who subscribe to Prep Baseball.

The Rising Stars event is tailored for middle school players, offering a glimpse into their future on the high school field and beyond. This event introduces young athletes to the metrics, staff, and workouts employed by Prep Baseball, fostering familiarity with contemporary evaluation processes. These players represent the next generation of talent, and events like Rising Stars provide an early foundation for their development.

Event Overview

The day commenced with a series of athletic tests. Each player’s height, weight, and grip strength were measured. Athletes then participated in a laser-timed 30-yard sprint using the VALD Athletic laser timing system. This system provided detailed data, including 10-yard and 25-yard splits, as well as top-end running speed calculations for each player.

Defensive Workout

Players showcased their skills at their primary positions during the defensive workout. Prep Baseball scouts evaluated their performance, recorded video, and collected data on arm strength and pop times.

Offensive Workout

During the offensive session, players took BP in an open cage environment, allowing scouts to observe ball flight in a field-like setting. TrackMan technology was utilized to collect data on every ball put in play within fair territory, providing valuable insights into each player’s offensive capabilities.

Bullpen Session

The final segment of the day focused on pitchers. Attending arms threw controlled bullpens while TrackMan gathered data on velocity, spin rate, and pitch movement. These sessions allowed scouts to evaluate pitchers and assess catchers receiving the bullpen sessions.

Post-Event Analysis

Following the event, the Prep Baseball staff will analyze the collected data, including metrics, analytics, and player evaluations. Leaderboards highlighting players’ physical attributes will be published. In the coming weeks, expect detailed scouting reports, blogs, videos, and podcasts covering the event.  Player assesments will include a full scouting report hosted on the player's profile.  Prep Baseball's scouting staff will filter through all of the Preseason Event information and update the North Carolina Player Rankings prior to the high school season.

For more information, including news, stats, and rosters from the Charlotte Preseason ID, CLICK HERE.

Charlotte Preseason ID By the Numbers
21 Players in attendance
10 Pitchers threw bullpens
2 Pitchers recorded fastballs at 89 mph or higher
3 Pitchers achieved a max spin rate above 2300 rpm on their fastball
4 Pitchers recorded a max spin rate of 2300 rpm or higher on their breaking ball
17 Hitters participated in the offensive evaluation
6 Hitters recorded a BLAST Bat Speed average of 69 mph or higher

Charlotte Preseason ID & Rising Stars - Trackman Pitching Metrics

FASTBALL STATS

Peak Velocity

Average Effective Velocity

Effective velocity is taking into account the velocity of each pitch, its release distance, the pitches time to the plate / hitting area, and the pitches movement.  With all of this information, Effective Velocity is allowing coaches and scouts to more accurately compare how a pitch is affecting a hitter.

Peak Spin Rate

Average Spin Rate

Average Induced Vertical Movement

Induced vertical movement tracks how the ball rides through the zone, or sinks through the zone.  For the purpose of this board we are tracking which fastballs showed the most ride, typically leading to more swing and miss opportunities

Average Horizontal Movement

Horizontal movement is often referred to as run.  This measurement does not distinguish between early and late movement, just the overall amount the ball tracks to the arm side out of the hand.

CURVEBALL STATS

Peak Velocity

Peak Spin Rate

Average Spin Rate

Average Induced Vertical Movement

This is a measurement of how much the ball drops from its original position and trajectory.  It does not measure how late the movement happens.  This can be referred to as depth on a breaking ball.

Average Horizontal Movement

CHANGEUP STATS

Peak Velocity

Average Induced Vertical Movement

Average Horizontal Movement

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