TUSCALOOSA, AL – The 2026 fall showcase schedule continued on Sunday, October 18th, as Prep Baseball Alabama traveled to Northridge High School in Tuscaloosa, AL for the Alabama Fall Games. The event brought together prospects from across the state for a full pro-style workout followed by live gameplay in front of the Prep Baseball Alabama staff.

Players in attendance participated in athletic testing using VALD Performance technology, batting practice evaluations with TrackMan, and defensive workouts with arm strength metrics recorded at each position. The event provided another opportunity for prospects to update their profiles with verified data while allowing our staff to evaluate their tools and abilities in both workout and game settings.

🚨 NOW LIVE: The 2027 PBT Alabama tournament schedule is officially LIVE, with a loaded slate of events coming to River Run Park and select venues across the state. View the full schedule and get your team registered HERE.

Below, we take a closer look at the leaders from each advanced stat category collected from the event.

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FASTBALL 

MAX VELOCITY (MPH)

SPIN RATE (AVG.)

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.

SPIN EFFICIENCY% (AVG.)

Spin Efficiency: This metric is the percentage of the raw spin rate that directly impacts pitch movement; so while raw spin is measured by revolutions per minute (rpm), spin efficiency is the ratio of true spin divided by raw spin. It’s important to understand that more is not always better when it comes to spin efficiency. The optimal spin efficiency on a pitch depends on the pitch type and should be understood in the context of a pitcher’s entire arsenal. Regarding the true four-seam fastball, a spin efficiency close to 100 percent is preferable, indicating that nearly all the backspin generated on the ball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand is contributing to the “riding” action the pitch has as it enters and exits the strike zone, making it especially effective in the upper third of the strike zone.

INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)

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.)

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%

Average MLB pitchers throw 62 percent strikes, and better pitchers throw strikes 65 percent of the time, or a ratio of roughly 2:1, strikes to balls.

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CURVEBALL

SPIN RATE (AVG.)

HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)

STRIKE ZONE RATE%

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SLIDER

SPIN RATE (AVG.)

HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)

STRIKE ZONE RATE%

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CHANGEUP

HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)

STRIKE ZONE RATE%

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2027 RIVER RUN SUMMER SCHEDULE ☀️⚾️

The 2027 PBT Alabama summer tournament schedule at River Run Park is officially LIVE. Programs from across Alabama and the surrounding region will have multiple opportunities throughout the summer to compete at one of the premier baseball complexes in the country.

VIEW THE FULL 2027 SCHEDULE & REGISTER

• Full summer slate of PBT Alabama tournaments
• Multiple age divisions and event formats
• Events hosted at River Run Park in Northport, AL and other venues
• Opportunities for programs from across the Deep South
• Prep Baseball coverage throughout select events

Planning your summer schedule?
Check out the complete list of events, dates, age groups and registration information through the link above.

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UPCOMING SHOWCASES ⤵️

SHOWCASE	DATE	LOCATION
Birmingham Fall ID	November 1, 2026	Pelham High School
Birmingham Preseason ID	December 29, 2026	Spain Park HS Indoor
Birmingham Rising Stars ID	December 29, 2026	Spain Park HS Indoor
Huntsville Preseason ID	December 30, 2026	Clutch Performance
Huntsville Rising Stars ID	December 30, 2026	Clutch Performance
North AL Preseason All-State	January 3, 2027	Hartselle HS Indoor
South AL Preseason All-State	January 9, 2027	Orange Beach Sportsplex

  

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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