Prep Baseball Report

Preseason All-State, Underclass: Pitching Data Dive


Kevin Cronin
Tech Analyst, Area Scout

On Feb. 25, the PBR Illinois staff hosted the Preseason All-State: Underclass showcase at The MAX in McCook, Ill., featuring many of the state’s top players inside both the 2025 and 2026 classes. This event helped our staff gain a clearer picture of the on-the-rise underclassmen in Illinois, and we’ll begin to break down the excellent thoroughly today and throughout the week. Inside today’s Quick Hits post, we’re highlighting the best of the best – the talent that exited the event as with arrows pointed way up headed into the spring.

Last week, we took a closer look at some of the immediate standouts who caught our attention with our Quick Hits. Yesterday, we published our statistical analysis, where we broke down the stat leaders from the more traditional categories. Today, 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: 

TRACKMAN

FASTBALL

VELOCITY (MAX)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Velocity (max)
1 Jack Bauer IL Lincoln-Way East 2025 LHP 92.6 mph
2 Tucker King IL Lyons Township 2025 RHP 91.0 mph
3 Blaine Williams IL Tremont 2025 C 89.3 mph
4 Remo Indomenico IL St. Ignatius 2025 LHP 89.1 mph
5 Caden Earing IL Mundelein 2025 RHP 89.0 mph
6 Will Carter IL Whitney Young 2025 RHP 88.5 mph
7 Frank Costabile IL Stevenson 2026 OF 88.4 mph
8 Daniel Kane IL Oak Park-River Forest 2025 RHP 88.2 mph
9 Conor Essenburg IL Lincoln-Way West 2025 1B 88.0 mph
10 Nathan O'Donnell IL Providence Catholic 2025 3B 87.9 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 Ethan Bass IL Glenbrook North 2026 SS 2530 rpm
2 Hayden Peterson IL Batavia 2026 LHP 2480 rpm
3 Jackson Natanek IL Brother Rice 2025 SS 2413 rpm
4 Hunter Baugh IL Edwardsville 2026 SS 2365 rpm
5 Lincoln Causero IL Hersey 2025 RHP 2341 rpm
6 Braden Deverman IL Normal University 2025 RHP 2314 rpm
7 Joe Olson IL St. Laurence 2025 LHP 2307 rpm
8 Tyler Townsend IL Sycamore 2026 RHP 2295 rpm
9 Chase Lockwood IL Libertyville 2026 RHP 2269 rpm
10 Jack Bauer IL Lincoln-Way East 2025 LHP 2265 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 Hayden Bernreuter IL Triad 2025 OF 18.7 in
2 Oliver Thulin IL Downers Grove North 2026 SS 18.2 in
3 Andrew McCormick IL Mount Carmel High School 2025 RHP 17.7 in
4 John Strzechowski IL St. Laurence 2026 RHP 17.4 in
5 Davis Weeks IL Dunlap 2025 SS 17.3 in
6 Samuel Chin IL St. Laurence 2026 LHP 17.2 in
7 Joshua Holst IL Libertyville 2025 LHP 16.9 in
8 Ryan Dabe IL Huntley 2025 OF 16.9 in
9 Isaiah Giganti IL Normal University 2026 3B 16.9 in
10 Will Carter IL Whitney Young 2025 RHP 16.6 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 Joe Kelly IL Loyola Academy 2026 RHP 19.5
2 Tucker King IL Lyons Township 2025 RHP 18.6
3 Jackson Newton IL Dunlap 2025 OF -17.0
4 Conor Essenburg IL Lincoln-Way West 2025 1B -16.9
5 Danny Sheehan IL Brother Rice 2025 LHP -16.6
6 Daniel Kane IL Oak Park-River Forest 2025 RHP 16.6
7 Brayden Zilis IL Minooka 2025 SS 16.2
8 Joey Arend IL St. Charles East 2025 OF -15.2
9 Antonio Brown Jr IL Homewood-Flossmoor 2026 RHP 15.0
10 Jack Bauer IL Lincoln-Way East 2025 LHP -14.9

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 Paddy Roth IL St. Patrick 2026 RHP 100 %
^ Jory Crocker IL Willowbrook 2026 SS 100 %
2 Logan Wroughton IL Mount Carmel 2026 SS 83 %
^ Nathan O'Donnell IL Providence Catholic 2025 3B 83 %
^ Daniel Kane IL Oak Park-River Forest 2025 RHP 83 %
^ Brett Bounds IL Morris 2025 3B 83 %
3 Joshua Holst IL Libertyville 2025 LHP 80 %
^ John Strzechowski IL St. Laurence 2026 RHP 80 %
^ Nick Mandra IL ST LAURENCE H.S. 2026 SS 80 %
4 Hunter Baugh IL Edwardsville 2026 SS 71 %
^ Joe Olson IL St. Laurence 2025 LHP 71 %
5 Chase Lockwood IL Libertyville 2026 RHP 66 %
^ Oliver Thulin IL Downers Grove North 2026 SS 66 %
^ Hayden Bernreuter IL Triad 2025 OF 66 %
^ Liam Darre IL Batavia 2026 RHP 66 %
^ David Leung IL Hinsdale Central 2025 LHP 66 %

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 Tyler Townsend IL Sycamore 2026 RHP 2622 rpm
2 Samuel Chin IL St. Laurence 2026 LHP 2588 rpm
3 Chase Lockwood IL Libertyville 2026 RHP 2503 rpm
4 Jackson Natanek IL Brother Rice 2025 SS 2482 rpm
5 Frank Costabile IL Stevenson 2026 OF 2424 rpm
6 Braden Deverman IL Normal University 2025 RHP 2291 rpm
7 Tucker King IL Lyons Township 2025 RHP 2288 rpm
8 Ethan Bass IL Glenbrook North 2026 SS 2286 rpm
9 Joe Kelly IL Loyola Academy 2026 RHP 2281 rpm
10 Daniel Kane IL Oak Park-River Forest 2025 RHP 2262 rpm

INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos IVB (avg)
1 David Leung IL Hinsdale Central 2025 LHP -15.1 in
2 Tadgh Callaghan IL Brother Rice 2025 RHP -14.0 in
3 Lucas Simulick IL JOLIET CATHOLIC ACADEMY 2026 SS -13.7 in
4 Daniel Coyle IL St. Laurence 2026 3B -13.0 in
5 Jake Rifenburg IL Benet Academy 2025 LHP -13.0 in

HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos HM (avg)
1 Lucas Simulick IL JOLIET CATHOLIC ACADEMY 2026 SS -17.3
2 Samuel Chin IL St. Laurence 2026 LHP 16.6
3 Tucker King IL Lyons Township 2025 RHP -16.4
4 Tyler Townsend IL Sycamore 2026 RHP -15.3
5 Jackson Natanek IL Brother Rice 2025 SS -14.6

STRIKE ZONE RATE%

Rank Name State School Class Pos Zone %
1 Jackson Newton IL Dunlap 2025 OF 100 %
2 Joe Olson IL St. Laurence 2025 LHP 75 %
3 Jake Ross IL Andrew 2025 RHP 66 %
^ David Leung IL Hinsdale Central 2025 LHP 66 %
^ Xander Metke IL Brother Rice 2025 1B 66 %
4 Danny Sheehan IL Brother Rice 2025 LHP 60 %
^ Colt Armbrust IL St. Francis 2025 RHP 60 %

 


 

SLIDER

SPIN RATE (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Spin Rate (avg)
1 Jack Bauer IL Lincoln-Way East 2025 LHP 2743
2 Brayden Zilis IL Minooka 2025 SS 2427
3 Hayden Peterson IL Batavia 2026 LHP 2397
4 Remo Indomenico IL St. Ignatius 2025 LHP 2388
5 Ethan Bass IL Glenbrook North 2026 SS 2277
6 Colt Armbrust IL St. Francis 2025 RHP 2272
7 Blaine Williams IL Tremont 2025 C 2197
8 Frank Costabile IL Stevenson 2026 OF 2159
9 Owen Walsh IL St Ignatius 2025 RHP 2131
10 Isaac Harris IL Joliet Catholic Academy 2026 LHP 2071

INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos IVB (avg)
1 Hunter Baugh IL Edwardsville 2026 SS -9.4 in
2 Blaine Williams IL Tremont 2025 C 8.5 in
3 Hayden Bernreuter IL Triad 2025 OF -6.9 in

HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos HM (avg)
1 Hayden Bernreuter IL Triad 2025 OF 22.3
2 Jack Bauer IL Lincoln-Way East 2025 LHP 16.6
3 Isaac Harris IL Joliet Catholic Academy 2026 LHP 15.3
4 Remo Indomenico IL St. Ignatius 2025 LHP 11.8
5 Hayden Peterson IL Batavia 2026 LHP 11.0

STRIKE ZONE RATE%

Rank Name State School Class Pos Zone %
1 Ethan Bass IL Glenbrook North 2026 SS 80 %
2 Hayden Bernreuter IL Triad 2025 OF 75 %
^ Davian Villalobos IL CHICAGO HOPE ACADEMY 2025 1B 75 %
3 Paddy Roth IL St. Patrick 2026 RHP 60 %
^ Isaiah Giganti IL Normal University 2026 3B 60 %

 


 

CHANGEUP

HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos HM (avg)
1 Jackson Newton IL Dunlap 2025 OF -20.6
2 Joey Arend IL St. Charles East 2025 OF -18.5
3 Samuel Chin IL St. Laurence 2026 LHP -18.0
4 Brayden Zilis IL Minooka 2025 SS 17.9
5 Jake Rifenburg IL Benet Academy 2025 LHP -17.3
6 Antonio Brown Jr IL Homewood-Flossmoor 2026 RHP 16.9
7 Hayden Bernreuter IL Triad 2025 OF -16.8
8 Jack Bauer IL Lincoln-Way East 2025 LHP -16.5
9 Remo Indomenico IL St. Ignatius 2025 LHP -16.3
10 Joe Kelly IL Loyola Academy 2026 RHP 16.2

STRIKE ZONE RATE%

Rank Name State School Class Pos Spin Score (max)
1 Colt Armbrust IL St. Francis 2025 RHP 32
2 Hayden Peterson IL Batavia 2026 LHP 31
3 Ethan Bass IL Glenbrook North 2026 SS 30

+ CLICK HERE for a look at the complete statistics from the event.

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