Prep Baseball Report

Trackman Traits - Pitching: 2023 RHP Tyler Pitzer (South Fayette)


Zach Guth
PA/NY Advanced Scout

Welcome back to Trackman Traits. In this piece we will be dissecting the numbers the Trackman produces and the effect they can have on a pitcher's approach. Below there will be 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 and importance goes, fast induced vertical break (IVB) may be the most important. 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. 

CURVEBALL SPIN RATE

Spin rate on curveballs is pretty simple: higher spin = nastier stuff. There are some ways to manipulate spin numbers slightly but for the most part spin is spin. At the moment, there are no well known ways to change your spin in a big way. Spin not only dictates how sharp your curveball is, but it can also aid in keeping hitters honest by having similar rotation matching that of your fastball. 

 

Tyler Pitzer

Class of 2023 / RHP

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2023
  • Primary Position: RHP
    Secondary Position: OF
  • High School: South Fayette
    State: PA
  • Summer Team: US Elite 17U National
  • Height: 6-1
    Weight: 190lbs
  • Bat/Throw: L/R

2020 Scouting Report

8/02/20

Physical: Lean / athletic 6-foot, 165-pound frame with some projectability / high level athleticism in the actions. 

Pitching: RHP - Deep side rocker step from the middle-left side of the rubber, moderate pace throughout the delivery with a medium leg lift at the top of the stack, sits into a strong backside before driving out towards the plate, landed in-line / directional with high posture in the body, high ¾ release with quickness in the arm. FB ranged from 82-84 T86 mph with an upwards of 2446 spin per Trackman Baseball… the FB lived above the belt generating swing and miss with two strikes and paired well with a sharp 68-70 mph CB showing 11/5 shape out of the same window and 2106 rpms of spin. Could change eye levels at will and dropped in a quality third pitch for strikes as well; a low spin 71-72 mph CH with slight arm-side fade on occasion. 

6/15/20

Physical: Lean, athletic 6-foot, 160-pound frame with room to fill out as he matures and plenty of quickness in the actions. 7.38 runner in the 60-yard dash. 

Offensively: LHH. Tall open stance with a high back elbow and hands at the shoulder. Utilized a controlled leg-hang coupled with a slight backwards move in the load to initiate his swing. Demonstrated feel for the barrel entering the zone in a slightly uphill path through contact point. Fluid stroke that played well in-game generating multiple hits at the PA State Games. Strong top hand to the baseball while hitting into a stiff front side allowing for an 89 mph bat-exit velocity per Trackman Baseball. 

Defensively: The outfielder displayed advanced footwork with a feel for multiple routes to the baseball. Can cover either gap drop stepping well to both sides and can go and get it in the air for his pitchers. The arm strength stood out with accuracy towards the target through a high ¾ slot with fluidity and length on the front side. OF - 89 mph

Pitching: RHP - Quality pace on the mound, deliberate arm swing with athleticism in the back and fluidity in the front through a high ¾ slot. FB worked into the zone at 84-86 mph and mixed in a sharp 67-68 mph CB showing 11/5 shape with swing and miss. Also featured feel for a 75-76 mph CH displaying occasional arm-side fade.

 

2/23/20

The primary right-handed pitcher demonstrated a long and lean 6-foot, 160-pound frame with athleticism and explosiveness out of a slow-tempoed, repeatable setup utilizing a lightning quick, high ¾ arm-slot. Sat 81-84 mph with life up in the zone and occasional small arm-side run. Mixed in a 65-68 mph curveball with feel for spin showing 11/5 shape. Countered with a decent 74-76 mph changeup thrown with advanced sell and featuring occasional natural cut. Commanded two and sometimes three pitches in the zone which should create tough at-bats against. The Freshman right-handed pitcher should be an interesting follow in the 2023 class with advanced fluidity and athleticism in the arm-swing allowing for a very high ceiling.

 


Videos

(6/15/20)


 

Fastball Breakdown

Velocity: Pitzer works with some pretty solid velocity for a '23 arm. When we take a look at the chart above, it doesn't specify what year the high school arms are, but trust me when I say it is impressive for a '23 RHP. Pitzer also displays some fluid mechanics they allow the ball to come out easily with low effort, adding slight deception to his velo.

Spin Rate: Not only does Tyler Pitzer produce exceptional velocity, his spin rate is even better. Pitzer possesses a spin rate that you would normally see from a high school curveball. With an average of 2368 RPM, his fastball spin rate is off the chart on the high school column but would even fall in around the top 10% among college arms. This by no means indicates that Pitzer's fastball is a top 10% college fastball, but when the velo comes in the coming years then we can have this conversation. For the moment, let's just understand the fact that Pitzer has crazy spin paired with above average velo which already puts him in the advantage against an opposing hitter. 

Bauer Units: Once again we dive into another case where a pitcher has a Bauer Unit measurement way above the average. With a max of 28 it means that for his velocity, he is spinning the ball far better than he technically should be from a numbers standpoint. This means that his fastball plays up to a higher velo and it's a slight indication that he could be seeing a jump in velo. Hopefully when this spring rolls around, Pitzer will be experiencing that increase in velo and he can over power hitters with his high spin heater. 

Induced Vertical Break: When a pitcher has lower velo than his spin rate indicates, it tends to make the IVB numbers low. This is the case because the spin is causing a downward effect on the ball due to gravity and the air around it. When the velo is not quite there, it makes it harder for the ball to travel on the desired path for longer due to the effects caused by the high spin. This is why we see Pitzer coming in with good velocity and even better spin, but not so great IVB. This is not a bad thing by any means, it just means that until the velo jumps, Pitzer should focus on the bottom of the zone and sometimes mixing in a heater at the letters. 

Curveball Breakdown

Spin Rate: Right now, we can tell that the spin isn't quite dialed in yet on the curveball. In my opinion, Pitzer still has a tremendous breaking ball but there is much more room to grow with it and figure it out. In video, it seems that sometimes he becomes too focused on just being able to bend it nd drop it in than throwing it with the same conviction as his fastball and letting the grip do the work. Pitzer is a young arm so obviously has some time on his side and this might be the most intimidating thing to think about when we talk about him. Pitzer in a couple years with some more weight on his frame, conviction on the mound and even more confidence will be a monster to deal with for opposing teams. 

Horizontal/Vertical Break: So what we're going to do now in this section is something we don't normally do. We're going to take a look at the max measurements for IVB and HM. We're doing this because these are going to typically be Pitzer's best curveball measurements that could pair for his best overall curveball. With both IVB and HM being in the top 10% among high school measurements, it makes him lethal from the right side. When the FB velocity gets caught up with spin, he will be able to pair his fastball and curveball up and play them off each other. Another thing that has been brought up lately is release height and extension. Thinking about what these measurements mean, it helps us grasp how well he tunnels both pitches. Pitzer is tunneling his fastball and curveball nearly perfectly off each other. Pitch tunneling can make any pitcher tough to hit, but when you add in what Pitzer has to offer...it should be illegal. 




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UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
2021 Preseason All-State - South/Central PA 02/06 Iron Horse Sports Complex
Super 60 Pro Showcase NATIONAL 02/07 MOSH Performance Center
2021 Preseason All-State - Pittsburgh (3PM Session) PA 02/07 All American Fieldhouse
2021 Preseason All-State - Pittsburgh (9AM Session) PA 02/07 All American Fieldhouse
2021 Northeast ProCase (2021 Grads Only) PA 02/13 Liberty Sports Arena
2021 Preseason All-State - Erie PA 02/13 Erie Premier Sports
2021 Preseason All-State - North/Central PA 02/14 Liberty Sports Arena
2021 Preseason All-State - East (11AM Session) PA 02/27 Keystone State Baseball Academy
2021 Preseason All-State East (3PM Session) PA 02/27 Keystone State Baseball Academy
2021 JR PA State Games Trials - Central PA 03/06 Liberty Sports Arena
2021 JR PA State Games Trials - East PA 03/14 Keystone State Baseball Academy
2021 JR PA State Games Trials - West PA 03/14 All American Fieldhouse