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 taking a look at another flamethrower, this time a product of St. Joe’s Prep, Andrew Goldan. Goldan possesses an electric FB with already elite velo that puts him in the top 10 percentile for high school arms. It’s the velo that grabs your eye, but there is much more to his FB that makes it so good.

Spin Rate: Goldan possesses top notch velocity on his FB for his age, but the spin rate on his FB is top notch among most levels of play. His max spin rate on the FB was 2551 RPM and his average spin rate was 2438, just elite numbers in this category. For some context behind this, his FB spin rate ranks in the top 10 percentile for high school and college arms, and he finds himself just below the top 10 percentile for average spin rates on MLB FBs. In a category that you want to be an outlier in, Goldan is exactly that. These are some of the most impressive spin numbers I have ever come across when looking at high school FBs. This spin rate helps his FB stay on plane longer, making that FB appear to be even hotter than the 90 MPH reading tells you. 

Bauer Units: Goldan unsurprisingly has impressive Bauer Units on his FB as well. Since this metric takes spin and divides it by velocity, guys with high spin and lower velo usually have high numbers in this category. I say lower in relative terms, the spin on his FB is that of MLB quality, so lower velocity than MLB pitchers. His Bauer Units is 28 on the FB, 5 units above the average of 23. This along with the velo and spin numbers point to a FB that can dominate when located at the letters. 

Induced Vertical Break: This is the one area that Goldan does not see above average numbers in. The max IVB of 17.6 inches and average IVB of 16.1 inches actually find themself closer to the below average side of the spectrum among high school arms. When it comes to the next level however, these numbers basically fall smack dab in the middle of the pack, or right in the average range. This is one of those categories where average is less than ideal, but all the other numbers tell a different story.

Vertical Approach Angle: His VAA on the FB is one of those metrics that tells a different story. His average VAA on his FB was -3.5 degrees, a very shallow entry. He did throw all of his FBs at or above the top of the strike zone, so this can be a little misleading because all FB above the zone will have shallower entries than FBs in the zone up or down in the zone, When looking at the FBs he did throw for strikes at the top of the zone, the VAA was around -4.1 degrees, still a very shallow entry. This, along with the velocity and spin combo tell me that Goldan can give hitters fits when he brings that FB up in the zone. The IVB numbers are the only thing that tells me otherwise, but those numbers can be improved  by small tweaks like arm slot and release height. 

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