North Alabama Fall ID: Data Dive, Pitchers
October 12, 2026

HUNTSVILLE, AL – The 2026 fall showcase schedule continued on Sunday, October 4th, as Prep Baseball Alabama traveled to Huntsville High School in Huntsville, AL for the North Alabama Fall ID. Serving as the second Fall ID event of the schedule, the event featured prospects from across the state who participated in a full pro-style workout in front of the Prep Baseball Alabama staff with comprehensive data collected throughout the day.
Players in attendance went through laser-timed 60-yard dashes using VALD Performance gates, batting practice evaluations with TrackMan and Blast Motion technology, and defensive workouts at each position with arm strength metrics recorded. The event provided players an opportunity to update their profiles with verified data while giving our staff another look at prospects heading into the remainder of the fall.
Below, we take a closer look at the leaders from each advanced stat category collected from the event.
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.
CURVEBALL
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
CHANGEUP
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
UPCOMING SHOWCASES ⤵️
| SHOWCASE | DATE | LOCATION |
| Alabama Fall Games | October 18, 2026 | Northridge High School |
| Birmingham Fall ID | November 1, 2026 | Pelham High School |
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS ⤵️
| TOURNAMENT | DATE | LOCATION | AGES |
| GameChanger Championship (Sat. Only) | October 17, 2026 | River Run Park | 9U-12U |
| River Run Fall Championship | October 17-18, 2026 | River Run Park | 13U-17/18U |
| GameChanger Championship (Sun. Only) | October 18, 2026 | River Run Park | 9U-14U |
| Oktoberfest Classic (Sun. Only) | October 25, 2026 | River Run Park | 9U-16U |
| River Run Monster Costume Smash (Sat. Only) | October 31, 2026 | River Run Park | 7U-15U |
| River Run Monster Smash (Sun. Only) | November 1, 2026 | River Run Park | 9U-14U |
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