Preseason All-State East Kicks Off at Next Level Training

Saturday, February 7, 2026, marked the start of the Preseason Events in NC. The Preseason All-State East at Next Level Training brought together some of the top prospects in the region.

This invite-only event—curated through player evaluations and scout recommendations—gave participants an early opportunity to showcase their skills in front of college and professional scouts.

Pitchers threw a controlled bullpen while TrackMan captured ball flight data, giving scouts and players advanced analytics on velocity, spin, and movement. Position players cycled through a full offensive and defensive workout. The offensive session included TrackMan and BLAST Motion technology, measuring swing mechanics and ball flight, while defensive drills allowed scouts to evaluate arm velocity, pop times, and on-field movement, exchange, and release.

Athletic testing was also on the agenda, with laser-timed 30-yard sprints, jump metrics, and grip strength evaluations providing insight into each player’s physical tools.

In the coming weeks, we’ll break down individual performances and spotlight the top names to watch in the 2026–2029 classes. For these young athletes, the Preseason All-State East is just the beginning of a season full of opportunity and exposure.

CLICK HERE to see the full roster and stats from the event.

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DATA DIVE -Pitchers

+ FASTBALL

MAX FASTBALL VELOCITY

Max Fastball Velocity: This metric calculates the speed of the pitch as it’s released from the pitcher’s hand.

HIGHEST AVG. SPIN RATE

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) as the pitch carries through the zone. Low-spin fastballs typically indicate greater horizontal action, often making them tougher to square up but generally easier to make contact with, leading to more ground balls. High-spin fastballs show a correlation with swings and misses.

HIGHEST AVG. IVB

Induced Vertical Break (IVB): 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 be useful when measuring sliders and cutters. Sliders tend to be closer to zero inches, while cutters are generally between 5 and 15 inches. Fastballs and curveballs with large IVB usually have higher spin efficiency. Sliders generally have very little (closer to zero) IVB and low spin efficiency. It’s important to consider pitch velocity and release height when evaluating IVB measurements.

HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)

Horizontal Break: Horizontal movement is measured in inches between where the pitch actually crosses the front of home plate side-to-side and where it would have crossed if 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.

HIGHEST STRIKE ZONE RATE%

For context, in 2023 MLB pitchers averaged an In-Zone% of around 49 percent in live game settings measured across all pitch types, according to Statcast.

CURVEBALL

HIGHEST AVG. SPIN RATE

HIGHEST AVG. IVB

HIGHEST AVG. HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT

SLIDER

HIGHEST AVG. SPIN RATE

HIGHEST AVG. IVB

HIGHEST AVG. HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT

CHANGEUP

HIGHEST AVG. HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT

HIGHEST AVG. IVB

HIGHEST STRIKE ZONE RATE%

+ Click here to view the event statistics in its entirety.

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