Welcome back to Trackman Traits! We will be dissecting the numbers the Trackman produces and the effect they can have on a pitcher's approach. Below are definitions of each category that we believe to be the most important for a young arm to keep in mind as well as breaking down an arm and giving suggestions on how they can improve their game. Keep in mind, in some categories it is better to be further away from average even if the numbers are wavering on below average. 

FASTBALL VELOCITY

Fastball velocity doesn't go much deeper than just looking at the numbers and comparing them to the graphic below! Fastball velocity complements just about all of the other metrics that are measured. If you throw hard, it makes all your other pitches/metrics even better.

FASTBALL SPIN RATE

Spin rate is a measurement that if you are below average or above average, you can pitch with more room for error. On the other hand, if you are average you should try to throw in the bottom half of the zone with exceptional command. High spin fastballs profile as one that is frequently described as having "late life". Low spin fastballs tend to profile as a fastball that has heavy feel to it. Pitch movement is still dependent on spin direction of the pitch but Trackman does not have that metric displayed on profiles. 

BAUER UNITS

Bauer Units are an easier way of determining how useful the spin numbers are compared to the velocity. We can calculate this metric by taking average spin rate and dividing it by average velocity. Bauer Units are useful because we can have a case of two pitchers with the same spin numbers, ex. 2200 RPM, but one pitcher throws 90 MPH and the other throws 83 MPH. The pitcher throwing 90 MPH with 2200 spin is not as impressive as the pitcher throwing 83 MPH with the same spin. Typically, we would tell the harder throwing pitcher to throw up in the zone purely off his velocity and his high spin, but because his Bauer Units would equate to around 24 that would be only 1 unit off of average (23), therefore he would want to hammer the bottom of the zone. On the other side, the pitcher throwing 83 MPH has a Bauer Unit measurement of 26 which is incredibly impressive. This would allow him to throw up in the zone even though his velocity is not blow away type numbers because he produces above average spin with that slated velocity. 

FASTBALL INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK

As far as deception goes, induced vertical break (IVB) is one of the more important metrics. Induced vertical break is not what is sounds. IVB simply means the pitch is "breaking" upward from the average level a pitch falls from release to home plate. This is a stat that you want to stay away from being average at. Fortunately, this can be tweaked slightly depending on release height. To put it simply, the higher number =  more "rise" the pitch has compared to average. Lower number = more depth the pitch has to it. 

VERTICAL APPROACH ANGLE

Vertical Approach Angle (VAA) is essentially how steep or shallow the ball is entering the strike zone. The average entry into the zone is around -5.5 degrees for the Division 1 college level. Anything below or above that number is considered an outlier and would be ideal because it is not what the hitter is used to seeing. A VAA of -4.5 degrees would be considered a shallow entry, this, with some other variables mixed in (IVB, velocity, release height), allow for success up in the zone due to the "ride" or even sometimes "rising" effect. A VAA of -6 degrees would be considered a steep entry. This is the type of ball that has a lot of success in the bottom of the zone (including the same variables mentioned previously) because it feels like the pitcher is throwing it off Mt Everest. With the perfect combination of low IVB and high release it could be a very steep entry that would be hard to hit. 

 

Fastball Breakdown

Velocity: Scarlata is an uncommitted '21 out of Bridgewater Raritan, who currently has seen his FB top out at 85 MPH on Trackman. He finds himself right above the 25th percentile in velocity on his FB among high school arms. What is impressive about this is how low effort that velocity is and how he maintains good balance and control of his body throughout his delivery. This ease to his delivery helps him repeat well, also leading to solid command of the heater with it finding the strike zone 66.7% of the time.

Spin Rate:  Carlata would be considered a lower spin guy, with his average spin on the FB at 1930 RPM and his max sitting at 2030 RPM. Looking at how Carlata projects to the next level, that spin rate is right near the 80th percentile among college arms. Carlata can use this low spin to his advantage, throwing his heavy heaters down in the zone to induce weak contact on the ground. 

Bauer Units:  A lower spin guy, the 24 Bauer Units checks out. He is just one unit above the average of 23 in this category which supports the idea of pitching down in the zone. Guys who are average or even slightly above like Scarlata is in this category generally see more success with their FBs when thrown down in the zone as opposed to a guy with higher spin and Bauer Units on the FB above 26 who would find more success with their FB up in the zone.

Induced Vertical Break:  Another category supporting the idea of throwing low, the IVB on his FB also profiles well for success down in the zone. The average IVB of 13.4 inches and max IVB of 16.3 inches around the 75th percentile among high school arms. Guys who are closer to the bottom in this category, like we have seen in the categories above, have a tendency to induce lots of soft contact on the ground when they locate well down in the zone.

Vertical Approach Angle: To finish things off today, let's talk about one more category that tells me Scarlata is poised for success with his FB down in the zone. The average VAA on his FB is -5.1 degrees, a steeper entry FB suggesting that hitters will be prone to weak contact on the ground. It does not happen often, but Scarlata is a case of all the numbers pointing definitively in one direction. All of these numbers we discussed point to success down in the zone for Scarlata and if he learned to dominate at the knees and develop his offspeed pitches to play well off of that low FB, he should have no problem competing at the next level. 

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