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Preseason All-State: Scouting Reports - Underclass Catchers

February 18, 2021
PBR California Staff


New Episode LIVE now! - At The Yard Podcast

ROSEVILLE, CA - Anticipation and expectations for this loaded event were quickly validated with impressive TrackMan and Blast Motion metrics. Many players saw their metrics make improvements while newcomers discovered them for the first time and the value that they hold.  However, the annual Preseason All-State event isn't complete without a detailed scouting report from the Prep Baseball Report scouting staff. In this addition we dive into Underclass Catchers. 

CLICK HERE FOR SORTABLE PLAYER STATISTICS INCLUDING TRACKMAN AND BLAST MOTION DATA

CATCHERS

Cameron Valentine, Mountain House, 2023
Body: 5-10, 155-pounds. Long torso on proportional build; strength there but more coming.
Hit: RHH. Relaxed, balanced start with low handset; stays tall through the forward move as hands have quick lift/load. Aggressive swings at the baseball. Direct hand path, times where it gets steep and can create backspin to pull side. The ball carried well to the pull side.
Power: 88.50 mph exit velocity.
Arm: RH. C - 72.00 mph. Shorter arm action as he really pulls into his scalp and brings it back over to a 3/4 slot. 4/5 accurate throwdowns.
Defense: 2.02-2.25 pop times. Displayed decent quickness and in-game action showed above-average receiving and blocking skills.
Run: 7.61 runner in the 60.

Andrew Witt, Garces Memorial, 2024
Body: 5-9, 145-pounds. Square shoulders on an athletic frame with projectable space and quick feet.
Hit: RHH. Open stance, knees tight, weight in the backside with high hands. Stays in hinge well with the forward move allowing hands to stay at back shoulder. Head stays on the plate with good posture. Short, compact swing staying connected well and allowing hands to get out to contact in front of the body. Stays inside pitches well wearing out RCF/Middle of the field. 19.2 gs Max Rotational Acceleration, 18.5 Max Handspeed, 79% On Plane Efficiency, 61.9 Max Batspeed.
Power: 82.70 mph exit velocity.
Arm: RH. C - 75.00 mph. INF - 80.00 mph. At C he showed a short quick arm action that was released on a more downward angle for majority one-hop throwdowns. Similar arm action at short where his throws flashed decent carry across the diamond and he was 4/5 on accurate throws.
Defense: 2.10-2.25 pop times. At C showed average foot quickness but clean footwork in terms of setting up his feet in good positions to make throws. Showed comfort at SS with his actions. Moved well to both sides and fielded out in front. Lacks fluidity as he slows himself down when fielding which hurts time to release.
Run: 6.97 runner in the 60.

Zane Denton, Las Plumas, 2023
Body: 5-10, 172-pounds. High waist, square frame with projectable strength currently
Hit: RHH. Balanced, even stance, controlled with a slow early load allowing hands to have slight movement back. Very quiet lower half allowing upper half to get through the zone. Quick rotation/hand connection allows the barrel to be on plane early. Easy bat speed produced pullside pop; adjusted during the round for better barrel control. 17.1 gs Max Rotational Acceleration, 22.3 Max Handspeed, 71.4 Max Batspeed, 71% On Plane Efficiency.
Power: 91.00 mph exit velocity.
Arm: RH. C - 80.00 mph. Quick and compact, regularly on the bag with throws. Trusts the arm and no reason not to.
Defense: 2.00-2.04 pop times. Block and recover were strong and handled the velocity easily. Worked below the ball well with body staying in a good position; strong hand/wrist.
Run: 7.48 runner in the 60.

Joshua Pashby, St. Ignatius, 2023
Body: 5-11, 180-pounds. Strong, athletic with present strength across the chest. Athleticism projects with more space available.
Hit: RHH. Tall opened stance with relaxed early momentum in shoulders/hands. Slight foot lift allows him to stay in back hip controlling forward move with hands staying high.  Loose, easy swing finishing high over the back shoulder. Consistently good posture; best swings allowed him to work under and through baseball to the middle of the field. 67.2 Max Batspeed, 18.9 gs Max Handspeed, 12.7 gs Max Rotational Acceleration
Power: 89.40 mph exit velocity.
Arm: RH. C - 79.00 mph. Arm action is quick with release at the ear with not much-wasted movement. All throwdowns were accurate in his defensive workout. 
Defense: 1.97-2.08 pop times. Light and quick footwork. Efficient movements behind the dish. Also showed good receiving and blocking throughout the workout and game action.
Run: 7.30 runner in the 60.                                                                                                

Elias Duncan, St. Francis, 2023
Body: 5-8, 175-pounds. Compact, physical build with strength present along with big athleticism. Very projectable for next level
Hit: SH. Narrow, even hands with a high back elbow; good early rhythm before quick knee tuck/hand pump timed load. Stays on the plate well and gets into a firm front side to allow the upper half to keep going. Quick, loose, and easy swing with the ability to stay behind the baseball and strong through the zone. Finishes high allowing balls to jump and carry through gaps. Showed the skills translated with big standup 3B to RCF and great AB's being on lots of different pitches. 93 Avg EV, 87.5 Hard Hit %
Power: 96.60 mph exit velocity.
Arm: RH. C - 78.00 mph. INF - 84.00 mph. Compact arm at both positions. Gets to high elbow easily and quickly. Projectable for next level.
Defense: 2.02-2.07 pop times. C: showed quick hips/feet able to get to good throwing position quickly. Was one of the best receiving catchers with strong glove work; caught best velocity arms making it look easy. Flexible when receiving/blocking/throwing.
Run: 7.31 runner in the 60.

Tyler Patrick, Clovis West, 2024
Body: 6-1, 185-pounds. Projectable, young frame with good strength currently and more space to fill as he ages.
Hit: RHH. Early hand pump, relaxed stance, even hands with big leg lift and reach as hands work back. Holds hinge well early and before the forward move; times where he gets around the front hip. His hands get ahead of the hips a bit but was able to be consistent in his path. Stayed connected well before getting extension through ball post rotation. Worked gap-to-gap and should continue to be strong there as he matures. 60% Line Drives, 57% On Plane Efficiency, 18.7 gs Max Rotational Acceleration, 21.9 Max Handspeed, 69.1 Max Batspeed.
Power: 93.20 mph exit velocity
Arm: RH. C - 74.00 mph. Short arm action that comes to release from the ear. All throwdowns were accurate to the bag. Slightly above-average arm strength.
Defense: 2.03-2.09 pop times. Efficient and quick footwork on throwdowns. Showed good receiving and blocking skills throughout game action as well.
Run: 7.75 runner in the 60.        

Jake Moreau, Jesuit, 2023
Body: 5-11, 210-pounds. Thick, strong, and full-frame with present strength and athleticism. Physicality stands out.
Hit: RHH. Balanced stance with even hands, loose and rhythmic early. Hands pull down and back early with sinking into the back hip load. Very good stopping front side and kicks back hip back to allow hips best direction. Swing stays tight to the body with control of the barrel and an almost consistent 3/4 finish. Showed the ability for the ball to jump off the bat to the pull side for pull power. Was also able to stay behind baseball during BP and then did it in-game with a screaming double over the CF's head. 89.1 Avg EV, 88.8% Line Drive/Fly Ball, 66.7 Hard Hit %, 75.2 Max Batspeed, 22 Max Handspeed, 14.4 gs Max Rotational Acceleration, 54% On Plane Efficiency.
Power: 97.00 mph exit velocity
Arm: RH. C - 82.00 mph. Strong arm with a quick ability to high elbow position. Trusts arm throwing multiple from knees during workouts. Throws a bit high, but showed good carry/life
Defense: 1.89-1.91 pop times. Really exploded out of the back hip in pop times and shows advanced athleticism for size of body. Blocked with soft chest and times where he could beat the ball with his glove.
Run: 6.95 runner in the 60.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
NorCal Open Scout Day - Underclass CA 02/21 Islanders Field
San Diego Open
 CA 03/07 Maranatha Christian HS

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