One aspect of the MLB Draft League that sets itself apart from other summer baseball leagues is its access and utilization of data capture. Each ballpark is equipped to capture live, in-game metrics and video to help further develop and scout the league’s prospects ahead of the MLB Draft.

Working with each team’s Data Coordinators, every week we’ll share a select group of players, or “Data Darlings”, who throughout the week and season have set themselves apart from the league, their trends and how it has impacted their summers.

Isaiah Parido, Aberdeen: The 6-foot-2 outfielder joined the IronBirds after a monster season with Division III Messiah University. Hitting .411 with an .870 slugging percentage, 20 home runs and 71 RBI, he was the level’s ABCA/Rawlings Sporting Goods National Position Player of the Year. He carried that momentum to be one of the second half’s leaders in run-production and getting on base, ranking eighth in batting average and seventh in on-base percentage. It helps with 29 hits that rank eighth and 17 walks, good for a tie for fourth that has resulted in a 15.6 walk rate. Behind his hits, Parido has had above average quality contact with a 40% line drive rate and an average exit velocity of 90.7 mph. He also has a hard-hit rate of an even 40%. The left-handed hitter also has been able to use the power and speed (13 stolen bases, fourth) to take an extra base with three triples and 45 total bases, coming in key moments with runners on base for 23 RBI that place him fourth in the half. Through that, Parido has a wOBA of .440 that has outperformed his xwOBA of .389.

Reagan Rivera, Mahoning Valley: Rivera, a graduate of Indiana University, has been dominant of late as the right-hander hasn’t allowed an earned run since July 14, striking out 13 over 8 1/3 innings during that time. The Scrappers reliever deploys primarily three pitches in a four-seam fastball, cutter and slider. The fastball comes in at a cool 94.4 mph, has been up to 97.4 mph and averages 19.4 inches of IVB to just 6.6 inches of horizontal break. Rivera works off the fastball, utilizing it roughly 44.6% of the time and it generates whiffs at a 34.3% clip and 31.5% in zone. The slider at 84.5 mph works as the putaway pitch and averages 2,664 rpm spin, peaking at 2,892 rpm with an impressive horizontal profile at just 1.8 inches of IVB and -12.6 inches of horizontal action. The pitch generates 41.4% whiffs, 31.3% in-zone whiffs, 36.1% chase and a putaway rate of 25%. The cutter also gets heavy usage at 35.3% and it averages 88.1 mph, 2,455 rpm spin, 7.2 inches of IVB and -4.2 inches of horizontal break. Serving as his most effective pitch, it generates whiffs and ground balls at a high clip with a whiff rate of 37.9% and groundball rate of 62.5%. Despite landing the pitch for strikes 70% of the time, the pitch still generates a whopping chase rate of 42.9%. The three pitches all generate whiffs and limit balls in the air, allowing him to be effective even when balls are put in play. With some of the best velocity in this year’s second half, Rivera is hitting his stride as the season enters its final couple weeks.

Haden Luke, State College: Out of Nicholls State, Luke’s first seven innings (two games) featured 10 strikeouts while limiting damage enough to have the 10th best ERA amongst qualified pitchers in the half, leading the Spikes. He’s armed with a fastball, sinker, sweeping slider, curveball and changeup, all of which he paints the corners with for an overall shadow rate of 38.6% and all but one pitch having a personal rate over 35%. The fastball sits around 90 to 91 mph, topping at 93.2 mph with 2,225 rpm of spin. Its movement features 11.7” of arm-side horizontal break with 17.3” of induced vertical break, reaching as high as an even 20 inches. He compliments with a sinker that features a bit more speed at 91.2 mph, topping 93.4 twice. Spinning at 2,234 rpm, it carries 14.5” IVB with 14.8” of arm-side horizontal movement. The sweeping slider has shown to be his swing-and-miss pitch with a 38.5% whiff rate, all coming from chases. Thrown in the low-80’s with 2,229 rpm, it moves with around zero inches of IVB with nine and a half inches of glove-side horizontal-movement. His curveball is what's painted the most frequently with a 41.1% shadow rate, sitting 78-79 mph with 2,288 rpm. Featuring -9.2” IVB, Luke throws it with 11.5 inches of horizontal glove-side movement. To round out his arsenal, the right-hander kills spin to 1,378 rpm for an 86-mph changeup with 6.1” IVB and 14.3” HB. It has resulted in plenty of chase with a 37.5% clip and has been used as an out-getter with a 27.3% put away rate, the highest of his mix.

Owen Stewart, Trenton: Since joining the Thunder on July 23, Stewart has been one of the most dominant relievers across the entire league with three pitches that have been spun well. The fastball leads his attack averaging 92.8 mph and peaking at 94.2. It is high-spinning with 2,526 rpm on average with 16.5 inches of induced vertical break and 7.4 inches of arm-side horizontal movement. His next pitch is a mix between a cutter and slider as it has upper-80’s velocity to appear like a cutter with the horizontal movement that goes a bit further for more of a slider shape. Coming towards the plate on average of 82.8 mph with 2,562 rpm, Stewart sees positive IVB with three inches and 10.5 inches of horizontal, glove-side movement. He rounds out with a sweeper that ticks slightly up in spin, drops down in velocity and grows longer in horizontal break. It sits in the 80-82 mph range with 2,400 to 2,600 rpm. Its movement ranges from three to six inches IVB and goes farther to the glove-side at 16 to 17 inches.

Dawson Hall, West Virginia: The right-hander and graduate of Western Kentucky has been one of the league’s most dominant relievers in the second half. Hall has used a predominantly two-pitch mix to put together an ERA of 2.12 and WHIP of 0.94 over 17 innings with 21 strikeouts. The Black Bears closer actually works off the changeup, utilizing it 49.6% of the time and it averages 83.8 mph with an impressive 0.0 inches of IVB and 17.9 inches of horizontal break. The pitch is his best weapon, generating whiffs at a rate of 50.7%, in zone whiffs at 43.4%, chases at 48.9% and average exit velocity of 78.3 mph for a hard hit rate of just 4.5%. Hall has allowed just one extra-base hit on the changeup (a double), has used it to pick up 17 of his 21 strikeouts and it’s highly effective to both right-handed hitters and left-handed hitters. He pairs the changeup with another horizontal pitch in the sinker, averaging 91.7 mph, getting up to 93.6 mph, with 2,419 rpm, 7.6 inches of IVB and 21.7 inches of horizontal break. The sinker generates whiffs just 22.2% but induces a ton of weak contact with an average exit velocity of 81.8 mph, hard hit rate of just 16.7% and groundball percentage of 41.7%. He’s a strike thrower with a zone rate of 67.6% and the two pitches help him generate an overall average exit velocity of 80.1 mph, hard hit rate of 8.1% and ground ball rate of 48.6%.

Matthew Williams, Williamsport: After blasting 10 home runs as a senior at Division II Millersville University, Williams has carried that into the MLB Draft League, belting six home runs in his first 19 games (tied for first in second half). The right-handed hitting first baseman has some of the best power numbers in the second half with a peak exit velocity of 107.9 mph, hard hit rate of 47.1% and barrel rate of 31.4%. Williams has been specifically crushing fastballs, hitting all six home runs against fastballs and sinkers, but he’s also hitting the offspeed stuff hard as well with hard hit rates of 36.4% on the slider, 33.3% on the changeup and 20% on the curveball. It’s not just the power that’s making him so productive, he’s also hitting for average (.303) and drawing walks (12 in 19 games) with an on-base percentage of .427. Despite a whiff rate of 26.1%, the Crosscutters infielder is tough with two strikes, led by a put away% of just 15.1%. The power goes mostly to the pullside (33.3%) and middle (45.1%) and carries a quality line drive rate of 27.5%. Williams can hit for power, average, gets on base and has the ability to hit a slew of pitches for hard contact as he continues to flex his muscle in the second half.

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