Dallas Preseason ID: Pitcher Data Dive
January 17, 2025
On Sunday, January 12th, the PB Texas staff traveled to NTXBC - Indoor Facility in Keller, TX, to host the Dallas Preseason ID, an open event for the class of 2025-2028.
Players participated in a pro-style workout, gathering unrivaled access to data through our state-of-the-art tech partners, as well as in-depth scouting analysis from our Prep Baseball Texas staff.
We've already posted a Statistical Analysis from the event, highlighting more of the traditional statistical categories, as well as a Takeaways, highlighting some of the events top performers. We also highlighted some of the top positional players within this Data Dive story.
Today, we will be looking at the top measurable data performers from the event, found below.
Trackman
FASTBALL
VELOCITY (MAX)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Velocity (max)
1
Landon Bertucci
TX
Rowlett
2025
RHP
87.2 mph
2
Kellan McWhinnie
TX
Plano East
2027
RHP
84.7 mph
3
Aiden Wright
TX
Plano
2027
RHP
81.0 mph
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Spin Rate (avg)
1
Landon Bertucci
TX
Rowlett
2025
RHP
2170 rpm
2
Nathan Tomkins
TX
Southlake Carroll
2028
OF
1997 rpm
3
Aiden Wright
TX
Plano
2027
RHP
1973 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
Nathan Tomkins
TX
Southlake Carroll
2028
OF
20.0 in
2
Aiden Wright
TX
Plano
2027
RHP
18.6 in
3
Michael Maggart
TX
South Grand Prairie
2028
3B
17.5 in
4
Nash Westerfeld Thomas
TX
Rock Hill
2026
LHP
16.4 in
5
Landon Bertucci
TX
Rowlett
2025
RHP
16.4 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 efficiencies. 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 vertical approach angle.
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
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
Ethan Downing
TX
Bells
2027
LHP
55 %
^
Michael Maggart
TX
South Grand Prairie
2028
3B
55 %
2
Nash Westerfeld Thomas
TX
Rock Hill
2026
LHP
54 %
3
Kellan McWhinnie
TX
Plano East
2027
RHP
50 %
^
Charlie Kulak
TX
Southlake Carroll
2027
1B
50 %
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
Landon Bertucci
TX
Rowlett
2025
RHP
2335 rpm
2
Michael Maggart
TX
South Grand Prairie
2028
3B
2077 rpm
3
Nathan Tomkins
TX
Southlake Carroll
2028
OF
2044 rpm
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Aiden Wright
TX
Plano
2027
RHP
-11.5 in
2
Landon Bertucci
TX
Rowlett
2025
RHP
-7.4 in
3
Ethan Downing
TX
Bells
2027
LHP
-4.4 in
4
Kellan McWhinnie
TX
Plano East
2027
RHP
2.9 in
5
Nathan Tomkins
TX
Southlake Carroll
2028
OF
2.2 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
SLIDER
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
IVB (avg)
1
Nash Westerfeld Thomas
TX
Rock Hill
2026
LHP
10.9 in
2
Brayden Vorel
TX
Prosper
2028
C
5.5 in
3
Charlie Kulak
TX
Southlake Carroll
2027
1B
4.0 in
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
CHANGEUP
Spin Rate (AVG.)
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
+ CLICK HERE for a look at the complete statistics from the event.
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