Pitcher-Only Future Games Trials: Pitching Data Dive
April 13, 2025
On Saturday, April 12th, the Prep Baseball Ontario staff got it's Future Games schedule underway with the first of five Future Games Trials events with the PO Future Games Trials hosted at Pro Teach Baseball, home of the Etobicoke Rangers, in Etobicoke, Ontario.
This Sold-Out event featured roughly 37 arms in the 2026 - 2028 classes for an extended bullpen in front of our staff on our TrackMan unit and it was a strong crop of pitchers that included several of the top arms within their respective classes. All players at the event were vying for a spot on one of Canada's two Future Games teams heading to LakePoint Sports in late July with our Future Games team (2027 & 2028 classes) and our Senior Future Games team (2026 class).
Today, our staff will begin to break down top performers from the event within this Pitching Data Dive article as we bring you the top TrackMan Pitching data collected during bullpens at the PO Future Games Trials on Saturday in Etobicoke.
To view complete event results, click here.
To view Class of 2025 Commitment Board, click here.
To register for the GTA Rising Stars ID - 2029/2030 Classes (May 19), click here.
To request an invite to the Eastern Canada ProCase - 2025-2027 Classes (June 5), click here.
To request an invite to the Midwest Super Sophomore Games - 2028 Class (Aug. 1-3), click here.
FASTBALL
MAX VELOCITY (MPH)
Max Fastball Velocity: This metric calculates the speed of the pitch as it’s released from the pitcher’s hand.
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.
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.”