Central Illinois Open: Pitching Data Dive
July 25, 2023
On Tuesday, July 18th the PBR Illinois team hosted the Central Illinois Open at the Corn Crib in Normal, IL. This open event was for all high school classes (2024-27), and gave our staff a chance to get a look at 80+ uncommitted prospects before the summer gets into full swing.
For a closer look at the showcase details and the technologies we'll have on-site to assist our in-person evaluation for all in attendance, click here. For a complete look at those registered to attend this event, view the most up-to-date version of the roster by clicking here.
Friday, we took a closer look at some of the immediate standouts who caught our attention with our Quick Hits and our Statistical Analysis, where we broke down the stat leaders from the more traditional categories. Today, we will take a further in-depth look at the top pitchers with the help of our tech partnerships, broken down by the categories down below:
TRACKMAN
FASTBALL
VELOCITY (MAX)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Velocity (max) |
1 | Samuel McArthur | IL | Champaign Central | 2024 | RHP | 87.7 mph |
2 | Joseph Stewart | IL | Mattoon | 2025 | RHP | 87.2 mph |
3 | Mason Orton | IL | Mahomet-Seymour High School | 2025 | LHP | 85.7 mph |
4 | Chance Payne | IL | Mount Pulaski | 2025 | 1B | 84.1 mph |
5 | Cooper Eggert | IL | Providence Catholic | 2025 | RHP | 83.5 mph |
Max Fastball Velocity: This metric calculates the speed of the pitch as it’s released from the pitcher’s hand.
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Rate (avg)
1
Mason Vandegraft
IL
El Paso-Gridley
2025
RHP
2208 rpm
2
Levi Hoagland
IL
A-C Central
2026
3B
2201 rpm
3
Eli Giganti
IL
University High School
2024
RHP
2175 rpm
4
Jack Roessler
IL
Waterloo
2024
RHP
2165 rpm
5
Samuel McArthur
IL
Champaign Central
2024
RHP
2147 rpm
6
Cooper Eggert
IL
Providence Catholic
2025
RHP
2143 rpm
7
Tanner Rogers
IL
Monmouth United
2025
LHP
2052 rpm
8
Mason Orton
IL
Mahomet-Seymour High School
2025
LHP
2033 rpm
9
Miles Leman
IL
Morton High School
2025
RHP
2024 rpm
10
Brooks Neuhoff
FL
IMG ACADEMY
2024
3B
2003 rpm
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.
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Tanner Rogers
IL
Monmouth United
2025
LHP
19.6 in
2
Dillon Steelman
IL
Stark County
2025
3B
18.7 in
3
Noah Steiner
IL
Paxton Buckley Loda
2024
3B
18.7 in
4
Caden Addis
IL
Prairie Central
2024
LHP
18.7 in
5
Eli Giganti
IL
University High School
2024
RHP
18.7 in
Induced Vertical Break: Used in short form as "IVB," this metric is most important on fastballs for creating rise and on curveballs for creating depth – it can also have some use when measuring sliders and cutters as well. Sliders tend to be closer to zero inches while cutters are generally between 5 and 15 inches. Usually fastballs and curveballs with large IVB have higher spin efficiencies as well. Sliders generally have very little (closer to zero) IVB and very low spin efficiency. You could also categorize IVB into spin rate as this is part of the “useful movement” you’re looking for. IVB is also a huge part of the vertical approach angle.
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
John Baltz
IL
Joliet Catholic
2024
RHP
18.0
2
Mitchell Silver
IL
EPG
2026
1B
-15.5
3
Mason Orton
IL
Mahomet-Seymour High School
2025
LHP
-14.6
4
Braden Arrenholz
IL
Delavan
2025
LHP
-14.2
5
Chance Payne
IL
Mount Pulaski
2025
1B
-14.2
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.”
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Kyle Popovich
IL
Mahomet-Seymour HS
2026
LHP
85 %
2
Landyn Corbin
IL
Normal Community
2026
RHP
71 %
^
Caleb Chamberlain
IL
Glenwood
2024
RHP
71 %
3
Bryce Murphy
IL
Glenwood
2024
RHP
66 %
^
Miles Leman
IL
Morton High School
2025
RHP
66 %
Average MLB pitchers throw 62% strikes, and better pitchers throw strikes 65% of the time, or roughly 2:1 strikes to balls.
CURVEBALL
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Rate (avg)
1
Landyn Corbin
IL
Normal Community
2026
RHP
2277 rpm
2
Cooper Eggert
IL
Providence Catholic
2025
RHP
2244 rpm
3
Miles Leman
IL
Morton High School
2025
RHP
2181 rpm
4
John Baltz
IL
Joliet Catholic
2024
RHP
2135 rpm
5
Evan Reed
IL
Bloomington
2025
SS
2133 rpm
6
Braden Mehn
IL
Normal University
2025
OF
2121 rpm
7
Samuel McArthur
IL
Champaign Central
2024
RHP
2109 rpm
8
Caleb Chamberlain
IL
Glenwood
2024
RHP
2072 rpm
9
Braden Arrenholz
IL
Delavan
2025
LHP
2067 rpm
10
Boston Katz
IL
Heyworth
2026
SS
2058 rpm
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Nick Shelsta
IL
Warrensburg-Latham
2025
OF
-14.2 in
2
Landyn Corbin
IL
Normal Community
2026
RHP
-14.1 in
3
Caleb Chamberlain
IL
Glenwood
2024
RHP
-12.4 in
4
Noah Steiner
IL
Paxton Buckley Loda
2024
3B
-11.6 in
5
Braden Arrenholz
IL
Delavan
2025
LHP
-10.1 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Caleb Chamberlain
IL
Glenwood
2024
RHP
-19.9
2
Landyn Corbin
IL
Normal Community
2026
RHP
-15.5
3
Braden Arrenholz
IL
Delavan
2025
LHP
14.2
4
Mason Vandegraft
IL
El Paso-Gridley
2025
RHP
-13.8
5
John Baltz
IL
Joliet Catholic
2024
RHP
-13.1
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Mason Vandegraft
IL
El Paso-Gridley
2025
RHP
75 %
2
Miles Leman
IL
Morton High School
2025
RHP
60 %
^
Evan Reed
IL
Bloomington
2025
SS
60 %
^
Levi Hoagland
IL
A-C Central
2026
3B
60 %
^
Caleb Chamberlain
IL
Glenwood
2024
RHP
60 %
^
Kyle Popovich
IL
Mahomet-Seymour HS
2026
LHP
60 %
3
Braden Arrenholz
IL
Delavan
2025
LHP
50 %
^
Mason Orton
IL
Mahomet-Seymour High School
2025
LHP
50 %
^
Nick Shelsta
IL
Warrensburg-Latham
2025
OF
50 %
^
Boston Katz
IL
Heyworth
2026
SS
50 %
^
Aiden Lauritzen
IL
St. Anthony effingham
2026
OF
50 %
^
Caden Addis
IL
Prairie Central
2024
LHP
50 %
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Rate (avg)
1
Brayden Elliott
IL
GCMS High School
2025
RHP
2249
2
Samuel McArthur
IL
Champaign Central
2024
RHP
2117
3
Jack Roessler
IL
Waterloo
2024
RHP
2113
4
Boston Katz
IL
Heyworth
2026
SS
2095
5
Mason Vandegraft
IL
El Paso-Gridley
2025
RHP
2037
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Nick Shelsta
IL
Warrensburg-Latham
2025
OF
-8.1 in
2
Joseph Stewart
IL
Mattoon
2025
RHP
-7.2 in
3
Tanner Nolin
IL
Normal West
2026
3B
-6.5 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Nick Shelsta
IL
Warrensburg-Latham
2025
OF
-19.0
2
Jack Roessler
IL
Waterloo
2024
RHP
-17.1
3
Brayden Elliott
IL
GCMS High School
2025
RHP
-13.5
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Zone %
1
Haden Giovacchini
IL
Huntley
2024
RHP
100 %
^
Samuel Beirne
IL
Normal West
2024
RHP
100 %
^
Tanner Nolin
IL
Normal West
2026
3B
100 %
2
Drake Giovacchini
IL
Huntley
2024
LHP
66 %
3
Brayden Elliott
IL
GCMS High School
2025
RHP
60 %
^
Dillon Steelman
IL
Stark County
2025
3B
60 %
4
Boston Katz
IL
Heyworth
2026
SS
50 %
^
Gavin Van Kanegan
IL
Normal Community
2025
OF
50 %
^
Eli Giganti
IL
University High School
2024
RHP
50 %
^
Thomas Mickels
IL
Peoria Notre Dame
2025
RHP
50 %
^
Tanner Rogers
IL
Monmouth United
2025
LHP
50 %
CHANGEUP
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
HM (avg)
1
Mason Vandegraft
IL
El Paso-Gridley
2025
RHP
16.0
2
John Baltz
IL
Joliet Catholic
2024
RHP
15.9
3
Mason Orton
IL
Mahomet-Seymour High School
2025
LHP
-15.4
4
Landyn Corbin
IL
Normal Community
2026
RHP
14.5
5
Caleb Chamberlain
IL
Glenwood
2024
RHP
14.3
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Score (max)
1
Mason Vandegraft
IL
El Paso-Gridley
2025
RHP
29
2
Levi Hoagland
IL
A-C Central
2026
3B
28
3
Jack Roessler
IL
Waterloo
2024
RHP
28
4
Eli Giganti
IL
University High School
2024
RHP
27
5
Tyce Beckman
IL
Normal Community
2026
C
27
+ CLICK HERE for a look at the complete statistics from the event.
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