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: Today, we're breaking down another uncommitted 2022 arm, Walter Schwartz. Starting off with velocity as always, Schwartz has gotten his FB up to 87. This goes for all pitchers, the harder that FB is coming in, the better it is going to play, regardless of any of the surrounding metrics.

Spin Rate:  Schwartz sees his FB spin averaging around 2176, maxing out around 2239. At the max end of it, his FB lies within the top 10 percentile of all high school arms and his average sees him sitting just above the 25th percentile of all high school arms. This along with the velocity will allow Schwartz to have plenty of success with the FB. That higher spin keeps the ball on plane longer, appearing to have some ride through the zone. 

Bauer Units: Along with the higher spin, the Bauer Units on his FB is also quite high. Sitting at 26, his FB is 3 units above the average of 23 in this category. Pitchers with higher numbers in this category generally find more success with their FBs up in the zone, while guys at or below that number average of 23 generally find more success when they throw FBs down at the knees. 

Induced Vertical Break: In terms of vertical movement, Schwartz had a max IVB of 19.7 inches and an average of 17.4 inches. On the high side, that puts him just a bit below the top 25 percent of high school arms. With his average of 17.4, that sits right around the average for high school pitchers, a number you'd like to stay away from. Being further from the average in this category helps pitchers because that FB has different action on it. Pitchers who find themselves around the average here tend to have flatter FB that get hit harder than you would think with the velocity the pitch is coming in at. 

Vertical Approach Angle: In terms of importance when understanding where FBs will be most successful. this metric is right at the top. The shallower the approach angle, the better that pitch will play up in the zone. The steeper the approach angle, the better that pitch will play down in the zone. In the case of Walter Schwartz, the average VAA on his FB was -5.2 degrees, or right around the average in this category. Although the spin and velocity suggest a FB that would play well up in the zone, the IVB and VAA on his FB tell me a different story. If Schwartz is able to locate his FB down in the zone, he will be maximizing the effectiveness of that pitch and will help him dominate hitters.

Recent Trackman Traits