Freshmen Free Showcase: Infield Analysis
December 26, 2017
The Freshmen Free Showcase took place on December 10 at Sunrise Mountain HS in Peoria. This week we continue our positional analysis from the event with the infielders. As always contact [email protected] or direct message @PBRArizona on Twitter with any questions and/or information.
PBR's fifth-rated Arizona Prospect in the 2021 class Beau Ankeney and Tyler Kearney were in a tight race for the top spot on this list with Ankeney's power tool ultimately earning him the top spot. Those two along with impressive two-way player Chase Valentine were clearly the top three infield prospects in attendance, with Nicholas Lustig and Spencer Horwath also impressing. Maguire Peterson also showed well with a long, rangy body and narrowly missed the top five.
Top Infield Prospects
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Beau Ankeney 1B / 3B / Desert Vista, AZ / 2021Rankings StateRank: 5 / POS: 1
Shows high-end raw power, but what stands out even more is the bat speed he shows for a prospect of his size. Ankeney posted the top exit velocity at the event at 89 mph as well as the top infield velo (80 mph). Standing 6-foot-2, 215-pounds, he has all the makings of a big time power bat as he continues to develop. |
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Tyler Kearney SS / OF / Mountain Pointe, AZ / 2021With solid tools across the board, including a 7.25 60-yard dash, 75 mph infield velocity and 81 mph exit velocity, Kearney is an advanced all around prospect. Showing good defensive footwork and some softness in his hands, Kearney has a chance to stay up the middle where his offensive ability will stand out. His combination of solid bat speed and an extremely advanced feel for the barrel make him a very strong prospect to follow. |
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Chase Valentine SS / RHP / Sandra Day O'Connor , AZ / 20215-foot-8, 125-pound frame. Valentine is a baseball player. He showed off very advanced defensive actions with good footwork, the ability to throw from multiple angles and solid carry on his throws (77 mph infield velocity). Made lots of hard contact during his round of BP with a simple swing and advanced feel for the barrel. Gathers himself with early knee-knock trigger, creating good separation. Shows enough bat speed to produce gap power as he gets bigger and continues to develop physically; 76 mph exit velocity. He also hopped on the mound and pounded the zone with three pitches, topping out at 79 mph with his mostly straight fastball. Working exclusively from the stretch, Valentine uses some effort to deliver the ball from a ¾ arm slot. 66-68 mph curveball has 11-5 shape and tight, consistent rotation. Also flashed 68-71 mph straight change in the strike zone. Valentine should be an elite high school player with a chance to develop into a very nice college prospect depending on how his tools develop. |
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Nicholas Lustig SS / RHP / Sunrise Mountain, AZ / 2021Young 5-foot-8, 130-pound frame. Bat speed stands out on offense, especially considering his current level of physical strength; 76 mph exit velocity. Creates good separation and has advanced rhythm in the box, using a slight leg lift trigger. Made lots of hard contact to the pull side during his round. Moves well on the infield defensively and showed strong carry on his throws with 73 mph velocity. Did a better job playing low on defense in our second look at him. |
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Spencer Horwath 3B / RHP / Sunrise Mountain, AZ / 20215-foot-10, 145-pound frame with athletic look. 7.29 in the 60-yard dash. Active setup with high leg-kick and lots of moving parts in swing. Starts with hands deep and creates very little separation. Has physical tools to hit with some refinement. Feet work well on defense, likes to drop down and throw from low angle; 75 mph infield velocity. |
Best of the Rest (Alphabetical order)
Julian Alemany, Brophy College Prep HS, 2021
Kyle Alexander, Queen Creek HS, 2021
Nathan Benson, St. Augustine HS, 2021
Matthew Carter, Willow Canyon HS, 2021
John Clasen, Brophy College Prep HS, 2021
Dawson DeHerrera, Sunrise Mountain, 2021
Alex Demos, Cactus Shadows HS, 2021
Ryan Dieterich, Sunrise Mountain HS, 2021
Hunter Hays, Prescott HS, 2021
Isaac Macias, Sierra Linda HS, 2023
Ruben Macias, Sierra Linda HS, 2021
Sebastian Mola, Shadow Mountain HS, 2021
Maguire Peterson, Notre Dame HS, 2021
Zac Rasmussen, Peoria HS, 2021
Bradyn Wilson, Shadow Mountain HS, 2021