Class of 2023 Showcase: Blast Motion Board
October 18, 2021
On Sunday, October 10, the PBR Illinois staff returned to The MAX Sports Complex to host the Class of 2023 Showcase. This annual event serves as an opportunity for prospects in the state’s current junior class to display their talents in front of our scouting staff prior to the start of the off-season. There were more than 60+ prospects that made the trip to The MAX on Sunday and participated in a pro-style workout in front of our evaluators.
Earlier today we published a Statistical Analysis, bringing you a quick statistical analysis of those that participated in the event, as well as a quick nugget on which players stood out. We then started to dive deeper into the data, looking at the pitch metrics and batted ball numbers from this event inside our TrackMan Files piece.
Now we'll continue to roll out the data we gathered from this event by taking a look at the swing metrics collected during batting practice thanks to our Blast Motion sensors. Below we'll highlight which players from this event stood out amongst their peers from a swing metrics standpoint.
Hand Speed (Peak & Average)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Hand Speed (max) |
1 | Jayden Malone | IL | Metea Valley | 2023 | OF | 27.7 mph |
2 | Mario Recio | IL | UIC College Prep | 2023 | SS | 25.7 mph |
3 | Easton Steck | IL | Galesburg | 2023 | SS | 24.8 mph |
^ | Graham Mastros | IL | New Trier | 2023 | 3B | 24.8 mph |
4 | Brandon Brokowski | IL | Evanston | 2023 | C | 24.3 mph |
5 | Ben Flerlage | IL | Latin School of Chicago | 2023 | OF | 23.8 mph |
^ | Jason Sullivan | IL | Sandburg | 2023 | OF | 23.8 mph |
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Hand Speed (avg)
1
Jayden Malone
IL
Metea Valley
2023
OF
26.3 mph
2
Easton Steck
IL
Galesburg
2023
SS
24.4 mph
3
Mario Recio
IL
UIC College Prep
2023
SS
23.8 mph
4
Brandon Brokowski
IL
Evanston
2023
C
23.7 mph
5
Blake Binkowski
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2023
1B
22.7 mph
Peak Hand Speed: The observed maximum speed as measured on the handle of the bat (measured six inches from the knob of the bat). Peak Hand Speed will occur prior to the moment of impact, very close to the commit time in the swing when the wrists unhinge.
Bat Speed (Average)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Bat Speed (avg)
1
Luke Stulga
IL
St. Laurence
2023
OF
73.5 mph
2
Jayden Malone
IL
Metea Valley
2023
OF
73.0 mph
3
Blake Binkowski
IL
Lincoln-Way East
2023
1B
73.0 mph
4
NJ Gott
IL
Glenbrook North
2023
1B
72.7 mph
5
Easton Steck
IL
Galesburg
2023
SS
71.7 mph
6
Mario Recio
IL
UIC College Prep
2023
SS
71.6 mph
Bat Speed: The observed speed of the sweet spot of the bat at impact. The sweet spot of the bat is measured six inches from the tip of the bat.
Rotational Acceleration (Peak & Average)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Rot. Acc (max)
1
Jayden Malone
IL
Metea Valley
2023
OF
37.9 g
2
Ben Flerlage
IL
Latin School of Chicago
2023
OF
31.8 g
3
Matt Spell
IL
Brother Rice
2023
3B
29.5 g
4
Luke Stulga
IL
St. Laurence
2023
OF
24.4 g
5
Kevin Hall Jr
IN
Munster
2023
UTILITY
23.7 g
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Rot. Acc (avg)
1
Jayden Malone
IL
Metea Valley
2023
OF
32.3 g
2
Matt Spell
IL
Brother Rice
2023
3B
24.9 g
3
Ben Flerlage
IL
Latin School of Chicago
2023
OF
22.4 g
Body Rotation: A swing that has the appropriate relative contributions of body and bat rotations is an efficient and Powerful swing that maintains proper sequencing. An efficient baseball swing is one in which the body creates the initial movements, which is then transferred to the arms and out to the bat, thereby maximizing Bat Speed through this proximal-to-distal kinematic sequencing movement pattern.
For a complete look at each of the statistics measured at this showcase, CLICK HERE.
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