Prep Baseball Report

Pueblo Summer Open: Pitching Data Dive


Cam Black-Araujo
Colorado Operations

On July 18th, the PBR Colorado staff hosted the Pueblo Summer Open at Colorado State University - Pueblo in Pueblo, Colorado. This event featured roughly 30 uncommitted prospects from the 2024 - 2027 classes and allowed our staff an opportunity to get an in-depth look at the players in attendance.

Earlier this week, we broke down the top measurable data performers from the event with our Statistical Analysis. Now, 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:

For complete event results, click here.
To view upcoming event schedule, click here.

FASTBALL

MAX VELOCITY (MPH)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Velocity (max)
1 Roy Higinbotham CO Pueblo County 2024 RHP 84.8 mph
2 Jagger Kilpatrick CO Niwot 2025 RHP 83.2 mph
3 Jacob Loupe CO Eagle Valley 2024 RHP 81.9 mph
4 Brayden Walters CO Canon City 2024 1B 81.3 mph
5 Karter Vega-Hernandez CO Fountain-Fort Carson High School 2026 SS 81.1 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 Roy Higinbotham CO Pueblo County 2024 RHP 2130 rpm
2 Karter Vega-Hernandez CO Fountain-Fort Carson High School 2026 SS 2124 rpm
3 Brayden Walters CO Canon City 2024 1B 2055 rpm
4 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP 2021 rpm
5 Jonathan Fitzgibbons CO Meeker 2024 RHP 1934 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 Kyler Colbert CO Erie 2025 OF 13.4 in
2 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP 13.2 in
3 Gavin Vargas CO Mesa Ridge 2026 1B 12.5 in
4 David Casillas CO Pueblo East 2026 RHP 12.0 in
5 Roy Higinbotham CO Pueblo County 2024 RHP 11.1 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 Jagger Kilpatrick CO Niwot 2025 RHP 13.0
2 Gavin Vargas CO Mesa Ridge 2026 1B 9.1
3 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP 8.8
4 David Casillas CO Pueblo East 2026 RHP 8.7
5 Jacob Loupe CO Eagle Valley 2024 RHP 8.6

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 Jonathan Fitzgibbons CO Meeker 2024 RHP 75 %
2 Gavin Vargas CO Mesa Ridge 2026 1B 71 %
3 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP 66 %
4 Kyler Colbert CO Erie 2025 OF 50 %

CURVEBALL

SPIN RATE (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Spin Rate (avg)
1 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP 2123 rpm
2 Jonathan Fitzgibbons CO Meeker 2024 RHP 2099 rpm
3 Karter Vega-Hernandez CO Fountain-Fort Carson High School 2026 SS 2069 rpm
4 Kyler Colbert CO Erie 2025 OF 2019 rpm
5 Jagger Kilpatrick CO Niwot 2025 RHP 1886 rpm

INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos IVB (avg)
1 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP -5.3 in
2 Kyler Colbert CO Erie 2025 OF -4.0 in
3 Dominic Williams CO Rampart 2025 RHP 2.7 in
4 Jagger Kilpatrick CO Niwot 2025 RHP 2.7 in
5 Jonathan Fitzgibbons CO Meeker 2024 RHP -1.8 in

HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos HM (avg)
1 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP -9.5
2 Kyler Colbert CO Erie 2025 OF -8.6
3 Jonathan Fitzgibbons CO Meeker 2024 RHP -8.6
4 David Casillas CO Pueblo East 2026 RHP -8.2
5 Jagger Kilpatrick CO Niwot 2025 RHP -2.5

STRIKE ZONE %

Rank Name State School Class Pos Zone %
1 Karter Vega-Hernandez CO Fountain-Fort Carson High School 2026 SS 100 %
^ David Casillas CO Pueblo East 2026 RHP 100 %
^ Dominic Williams CO Rampart 2025 RHP 100 %
2 Jagger Kilpatrick CO Niwot 2025 RHP 50 %

SLIDER

SPIN RATE (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Spin Rate (avg)
1 Brayden Walters CO Canon City 2024 1B 2552
2 Karter Vega-Hernandez CO Fountain-Fort Carson High School 2026 SS 2181
3 Roy Higinbotham CO Pueblo County 2024 RHP 2081
4 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP 2047
5 Jagger Kilpatrick CO Niwot 2025 RHP 1962

INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos IVB (avg)
1 Dominic Williams CO Rampart 2025 RHP 11.5 in
2 Jonathan Fitzgibbons CO Meeker 2024 RHP 11.1 in
3 Jacob Loupe CO Eagle Valley 2024 RHP -10.5 in
4 Brayden Walters CO Canon City 2024 1B -4.6 in
5 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP -3.5 in

HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos HM (avg)
1 Brayden Walters CO Canon City 2024 1B -13.0
2 Jonathan Fitzgibbons CO Meeker 2024 RHP 7.4
3 David Casillas CO Pueblo East 2026 RHP -6.0
4 Jacob Loupe CO Eagle Valley 2024 RHP -5.8
5 Roy Higinbotham CO Pueblo County 2024 RHP -5.7

STRIKE ZONE RATE%

Rank Name State School Class Pos Zone %
1 Karter Vega-Hernandez CO Fountain-Fort Carson High School 2026 SS 100 %
^ David Casillas CO Pueblo East 2026 RHP 100 %
^ Jonathan Fitzgibbons CO Meeker 2024 RHP 100 %
2 Roy Higinbotham CO Pueblo County 2024 RHP 85 %
3 Dominic Williams CO Rampart 2025 RHP 66 %

CHANGEUP

HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos HM (avg)
1 David Casillas CO Pueblo East 2026 RHP 12.1
2 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP 11.9
3 Jagger Kilpatrick CO Niwot 2025 RHP 8.3
4 Brayden Walters CO Canon City 2024 1B 5.5
5 Gavin Vargas CO Mesa Ridge 2026 1B 5.4

STRIKE ZONE RATE%

Rank Name State School Class Pos Zone %
1 Gavin Vargas CO Mesa Ridge 2026 1B 75 %
2 Blake Swift CO Pueblo County 2026 RHP 50 %
^ Brayden Walters CO Canon City 2024 1B 50 %

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
PBR Junior Future Games NATIONAL 07/25 LakePoint
2023 PBR Future Games (Colorado Invite) CO 07/26 LakePoint Sports - Cartersville, GA
2023 PBR West Coast Games CO 08/04 UNLV & College of Southern Nevada
Colorado State Games (Invite-Only) CO 08/08 Regency Athletic Complex at Metro State University (Denver)


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