Prep Baseball Report

Preseason All-State, Upperclass: Positional Data Dive


Kevin Cronin
Tech Analyst, Area Scout

On Feb. 25, the PBR Illinois staff hosted the Preseason All-State: Upperclass showcase at The MAX in McCook, Ill., featuring many of the state’s top players inside the 2024 class. This event helped our staff gain a clearer picture of the on-the-rise prospects in Illinois, and we’ll begin to break down the event 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 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 positional players with the help of our tech partnerships, broken down by the categories down below: 

SYNCRO ATHLETIC TESTING

60-YARD DASH

Rank Name State School Class Pos 60-yard
1 Jalen House IL Downers Grove South 2024 OF 6.76
2 Drew Phillips IL John Hersey 2024 6.82
3 Brady Gilroy IL Burlington Central 2024 OF 6.83
4 Cooper Malamazian IL Nazareth Academy 2024 SS 6.85
5 Khamaree Thomas IL Kenwood 2024 OF 6.89
6 Jake Parpet IL Conant 2024 C 6.91
^ Michael Kuska IL Pontiac 2024 CF 6.91
7 Cael Karczewski IL Joliet West 2024 SS 6.92
^ Joe Dolenga IL Stevenson 2024 SS 6.92
8 Will Potter IL Downers Grove South 2024 SS 6.95
9 Blake Crancer IL Normal West 2024 SS 6.97
^ Charlie Vercruysse IL University 2024 SS 6.97
10 Alex Schimmel IL Moline 2024 SS 6.98
^ Jackson Smith IL Providence Catholic 2024 SS 6.98

10-YARD SPLIT

Rank Name State School Class Pos 10-yd
1 Jimmy Janicki IL Downers Grove North 2024 C 1.64 s
2 Camden Raddatz IL Effingham 2024 3B 1.65 s
3 Cooper Malamazian IL Nazareth Academy 2024 SS 1.67 s
^ Jameson Martin IL St. Laurence 2024 SS 1.67 s
4 Jalen House IL Downers Grove South 2024 OF 1.68 s
^ Cael Karczewski IL Joliet West 2024 SS 1.68 s
^ Khamaree Thomas IL Kenwood 2024 OF 1.68 s
^ Jackson Smith IL Providence Catholic 2024 SS 1.68 s
5 Will Potter IL Downers Grove South 2024 SS 1.69 s

PEAK VERTICAL JUMP

Rank Name State School Class Pos Jump Height (max)
1 Aidan Hayse IL Joliet Catholic 2024 RHP 37.8
2 Drew Phillips IL John Hersey 2024 37.1
3 Brendan Tunink IL Newman Central Catholic 2024 OF 36.0
4 Khamaree Thomas IL Kenwood 2024 OF 34.9
^ Ryan Sloan IL York 2024 RHP 34.9
5 Daniel Bastidas IL Metea Valley 2024 C 34.2
6 Jackson Spring IL St. Charles North 2024 SS 34.1
7 Brady Gilroy IL Burlington Central 2024 OF 33.7
8 Tyler Bell IL Lincoln-Way East 2024 SS 33.2
9 Joshua Wicker IL Fenwick 2024 2B 33.1
10 Joey Campanella IL Glenbard West 2024 OF 32.8
^ Joe Dolenga IL Stevenson 2024 SS 32.8

Traditionally, the 60-yard dash has been the in-event standard to help measure a player's speed tool. While the measurement still has its utility, the 10-yard split has started to become more and more applicable in determining the player's burst and reaction time in-game, whether that's in the outfield or on the basepaths.

The ability to develop force quickly is a requisite ability in most sports. The reactive strength index (RSI) has been developed as a measure of explosive strength and is derived by evaluating jump height divided by ground contact time during the depth jump. Regarding vertical jumps and its application to baseball, there have been studies conducted that show a correlation between max jump height for an athlete and their ability to generate power and strength, especially on the mound.

 


 

TRACKMAN

EXIT VELOCITY (MAX)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Exit Velocity (max)
1 James Love IL Joliet West 2024 3B 102.9 mph
2 Eric DeCosta IL Wheaton Academy 2024 3B 101.3 mph
3 Kyle Hartmann IL Sycamore 2024 C 101.1 mph
4 Colin Ryder IL St. Charles North 2024 1B 100.7 mph
5 Jimmy Janicki IL Downers Grove North 2024 C 100.7 mph
6 Camden Raddatz IL Effingham 2024 3B 100.4 mph
7 Keenan Oldani IL South Elgin 2024 OF 100.2 mph
8 Michael Umbright IL Naperville Central 2024 RHP 99.8 mph
9 Tyler Bell IL Lincoln-Way East 2024 SS 99.3 mph
10 Ryne Woods IL Batavia 2024 OF 99.1 mph

EXIT VELOCITY (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Exit Velocity (avg)
1 Kyle Hartmann IL Sycamore 2024 C 96.7 mph
2 Michael Umbright IL Naperville Central 2024 RHP 96.3 mph
3 Camden Raddatz IL Effingham 2024 3B 95.2 mph
4 Tommy Korn IL Crystal Lake Central 2024 RHP 92.8 mph
5 James Love IL Joliet West 2024 3B 92.6 mph
6 Nick Drtina IL Nazareth Academy 2024 RHP 92.0 mph
7 Tyler Bell IL Lincoln-Way East 2024 SS 91.6 mph
8 Jimmy Janicki IL Downers Grove North 2024 C 91.4 mph
9 Jameson Martin IL St. Laurence 2024 SS 91.3 mph
10 Brady Gilroy IL Burlington Central 2024 OF 91.0 mph

Exit Velocity: This metric measures the speed of the ball, measured in miles per hour, as it comes off the bat at the moment of contact.

BATTED BALL DISTANCE (MAX)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Distance (max)
1 Jack Swaney IL Rochester 2024 1B 384 ft
2 Jaden Obaldo IL Crystal Lake Central 2024 2B 381 ft
3 Eric DeCosta IL Wheaton Academy 2024 3B 375 ft
4 Joe Dolenga IL Stevenson 2024 SS 372 ft
5 Ryne Woods IL Batavia 2024 OF 368 ft
6 Jack Cozzi IL St. Edward Central Catholic 2024 OF 366 ft
7 Joey Cosentino IL Geneva 2024 OF 365 ft
8 Camden Raddatz IL Effingham 2024 3B 363 ft
9 James Love IL Joliet West 2024 3B 360 ft
10 Cal Darling IL Bradley-Bourbonnais 2024 OF 356 ft

SWEET SPOT%

Rank Name State School Class Pos Sweet Spot %
1 Bryce Breon IL Geneva 2024 LHP 100 %
2 Jake Parpet IL Conant 2024 C 90 %
3 Jameson Martin IL St. Laurence 2024 SS 88 %
4 Jimmy Anderson IL Joliet West 2024 SS 87 %
5 Owen Young IL Joliet West 2024 C 85 %
^ Dominic Catalano IL Montini Catholic 2024 OF 85 %
^ Rakim Ali IL Morgan Park 2024 C 85 %

Sweet Spot percentage: This metric is determined by how often the player produces a batted ball during the session with a launch angle between 8 to 32 degrees.

 


 

BLAST MOTION

HAND SPEED (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Hand Speed (avg)
1 Jimmy Janicki IL Downers Grove North 2024 C 24.6 mph
2 Eric DeCosta IL Wheaton Academy 2024 3B 23.8 mph
3 Daniel Bastidas IL Metea Valley 2024 C 23.0 mph
4 Trey Blanchette IL Kankakee 2024 1B 23.0 mph
5 James Love IL Joliet West 2024 3B 22.9 mph

Hand Speed: The observed speed as measured on the handle of the bat (measured six inches from the knob of the bat). Peak Hand Speed will occur prior to the moment of impact, very close to the commit time in the swing when the wrists unhinge.

BAT SPEED (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Bat Speed (avg)
1 Tyler Bell IL Lincoln-Way East 2024 SS 79.6 mph
2 Joey Cosentino IL Geneva 2024 OF 78.4 mph
3 Camden Raddatz IL Effingham 2024 3B 77.7 mph
4 Eric DeCosta IL Wheaton Academy 2024 3B 77.1 mph
5 Brendan Tunink IL Newman Central Catholic 2024 OF 76.8 mph
6 Keenan Oldani IL South Elgin 2024 OF 76.6 mph
7 Michael Roberson III IL Providence Catholic 2024 C 76.0 mph
8 Kyle Hartmann IL Sycamore 2024 C 75.4 mph
9 James Love IL Joliet West 2024 3B 75.3 mph
10 Cal Darling IL Bradley-Bourbonnais 2024 OF 74.5 mph

Bat Speed: The observed speed of the sweet spot of the bat at impact. The sweet spot of the bat is measured six inches from the tip of the bat.

ROTATIONAL ACCELERATION (AVG.)

Rank Name State School Class Pos Rot. Acc (avg)
1 Dominic Catalano IL Montini Catholic 2024 OF 23.4 g
2 Kyle Hartmann IL Sycamore 2024 C 23.0 g
3 Sean Kempf IL Crystal Lake Central 2024 C 22.3 g
4 Kyle Maslan IL Lincoln-Way Central 2024 RHP 19.4 g
5 Khamaree Thomas IL Kenwood 2024 OF 19.2 g
6 Jimmy Janicki IL Downers Grove North 2024 C 19.2 g
7 Bryk Barnard IL Hersey 2024 C 18.5 g
8 Ben Ford IL Waubonsie Valley 2024 18.2 g
9 Mason McCue IL Bishop McNamara 2024 SS 17.5 g
10 Jalen House IL Downers Grove South 2024 OF 17.2 g

Body Rotation: A swing that has the appropriate relative contributions of body and bat rotations is an efficient and Powerful swing that maintains proper sequencing. An efficient baseball swing is one in which the body creates the initial movements, which is then transferred to the arms and out to the bat, thereby maximizing Bat Speed through this proximal-to-distal kinematic sequencing movement pattern.

 


 

VIZUAL EDGE

EDGE SCORE

Rank Name State School Class Pos Edge Score
1 Finnley Koch IL Fenwick 2024 C 90.36
2 Brendan Tunink IL Newman Central Catholic 2024 OF 87.84
3 Trey Blanchette IL Kankakee 2024 1B 86.69
4 Keenan Oldani IL South Elgin 2024 OF 86.01
5 Kaileb Hackman IL Normal Community 2024 3B 85.78
6 Eric DeCosta IL Wheaton Academy 2024 3B 83.49
^ Nick Drtina IL Nazareth Academy 2024 RHP 83.49
7 Ben Ford IL Waubonsie Valley 2024 82.70
8 Blake Crancer IL Normal West 2024 SS 82.39
9 Tyler Bell IL Lincoln-Way East 2024 SS 81.88
10 Jake Parpet IL Conant 2024 C 80.90

The Edge Score is a comprehensive score out of 100 that takes the core-six visual skills into account, providing athletes, parents, coaches and scouts with a benchmark number for assessing an athlete’s overall visual ability. In general the higher the Edge Score, the higher chance of athletic success. Think of the Edge Score as the 'Sixth Metric' in the standard Five-Tools that make up a ball player.

The average Edge Score for the 2020 MLB Draft Class was 79.3 (of hitters who completed a Vizual Edge test). MLB players we've worked with typically show stronger scores, with elite hitters scoring consistently above 87.0 on their Edge Score.

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

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