Thu October 21, 2021
On Sunday, Oct. 17, the PBR Illinois staff returned to The MAX Sports Complex to host the fall’s Underclass Showcase. This annual event serves as an opportunity for prospects in the state’s 2024-25 classes to display their talents in front of our scouting staff prior to the start of the off-season. There were nearly 60 prospects who made the trip to The MAX on Sunday to participate in a pro-style workout in front of our evaluators.
Yesterday we published a Statistical Analysis, bringing you a quick statistical analysis of those that participated in the event, as well as a quick nugget on which players stood out. We then started to dive deeper into the data, looking at the pitch metrics and batted ball numbers from this event inside our TrackMan Files piece.
Now we'll continue to roll out the data we gathered from this event by taking a look at the swing metrics collected during batting practice thanks to our Blast Motion sensors. Below we'll highlight which players from this event stood out amongst their peers from a swing metrics standpoint.
| Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Hand Speed (max) |
| 1 | Matthew Zeman | IL | Montini Catholic | 2024 | OF | 26.4 mph |
| 2 | Derek Ittner | IL | Lake Park | 2024 | SS | 25.8 mph |
| 3 | Aidan Conners | IL | Hinsdale Central | 2024 | 3B | 24.8 mph |
| 4 | Charlie Linderman | IL | Sacred Heart Griffen | 2024 | SS | 24.6 mph |
| 5 | Alexi Edlund | IL | Glenbrook South | 2024 | 1B | 24.3 mph |
| Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Hand Speed (avg) |
| 1 | Derek Ittner | IL | Lake Park | 2024 | SS | 24.7 mph |
| 2 | Matthew Zeman | IL | Montini Catholic | 2024 | OF | 24.6 mph |
| 3 | Aidan Conners | IL | Hinsdale Central | 2024 | 3B | 24.0 mph |
| 4 | Charlie Linderman | IL | Sacred Heart Griffen | 2024 | SS | 23.6 mph |
| 5 | Jimmy Anderson | IL | Joliet West | 2024 | SS | 23.1 mph |
Peak Hand Speed: The observed maximum 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.
| Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Bat Speed (avg) |
| 1 | Matthew Zeman | IL | Montini Catholic | 2024 | OF | 74.9 mph |
| 2 | Colin Adams | IL | Schaumburg | 2024 | C | 71.8 mph |
| 3 | Anthony Xydakis | IL | Morris | 2024 | OF | 70.8 mph |
| 4 | Chris Daugherty | IL | Brother Rice | 2024 | OF | 70.2 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.
| Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Rot. Acc (max) |
| 1 | Derek Ittner | IL | Lake Park | 2024 | SS | 35.2 g |
| 2 | Aidan Conners | IL | Hinsdale Central | 2024 | 3B | 25.7 g |
| 3 | Charlie Linderman | IL | Sacred Heart Griffen | 2024 | SS | 25.4 g |
| 4 | Anthony Xydakis | IL | Morris | 2024 | OF | 22.4 g |
| 5 | Riley Lam | IL | Grayslake North | 2024 | RHP | 22.3 g |
| Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Rot. Acc (avg) |
| 1 | Derek Ittner | IL | Lake Park | 2024 | SS | 25.2 g |
| 2 | Charlie Linderman | IL | Sacred Heart Griffen | 2024 | SS | 22.2 g |
| 3 | Anthony Xydakis | IL | Morris | 2024 | OF | 19.9 g |
| 4 | Aidan Conners | IL | Hinsdale Central | 2024 | 3B | 19.7 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.
For a complete look at each of the statistics measured at this showcase, CLICK HERE.
