SoCal ProCase Spotlight: OF Toussaint Bythewood

Follow @PBRCalifornia Follow @LesLukach Follow@Clemmens_PBR  Follow @Jacked_23 

Follow @JoeyCohen20 Follow @AnthonyAntolin   

San Juan Capistrano, Calif - Uncommitted outfielder Toussaint Bythewood showed up ready to go less than 24 hours after winning the Division 1 CIF Southern Section Championship with Harvard-Westlake. Bythewood didn’t waste any time showing his tool set clocking a 6.8 60-yard dash. In a year's time since our last showcase showing he increased his average exit velocity from 90 mph to 96 mph. Along with significant increase in hand and bat speed it is clear that Bythewood is progressing and developing well. Scout ears heard a ball that sounded good off the bat and the eyes showed a raw player with tons of potential. 

The Report 

Body: 6-2, 175 pounds. Long and lean with plenty of room to fill out. Projectable athleticism and frame at the next level. Some lower half stiffness that could be easily improved with hip mobility training and in turn increasing his overall speed and athleticism. 

Hit: Wide base with a slightly open front foot, step to load timing to his hitting position, two-hand finish. Timing hitter that showed his reliance on timing during both batting practice and live at-bats. Showed a mature feel for getting in a consistent and aligned position to hit, mechanical but projectable with time and repetition. Second round of batting practice he got his timing down and consistently hit line drives to both sides of the field. Ball sounded good off the bat throughout his hitting session. Graded out an above-average Blast Motion connection score where his alignment and ability to get in a good position to hit are backed up with current technology. 

Power: Showed streaky power in that he singled consistently in batting practice but blasted a 347 ft home run in his second round of batting practice. Average hand speed of 22.51 and bat speed of 73.69 play very well for projectable power. His ability to get in a consistent hitting position with his natural quick bat speed should help him continue to develop power. The lack of lower half engagement in his swing definitely hurts his current power and will need to be developed to truly tap into his overall power potential. 

Field: Took good reads in his outfield showing and got himself in a good throwing position. Fielded the ball out in front and kept his head down. Looked comfortable as a corner outfielder but definitely has potential in centerfield. Lower half engagement on his throws would surely benefit length on throws and play up his strong arm. 

Arm: Clocked at 87 mph showing arm strength needed at the next level. Lack of lower body drive and follow through makes his throws upper body dominant. Utilized the long hop or no hop approach helping keep his throws accurate. 

Run: 6.78 laser timed 60-yard dash on artificial turf. Natural speed and running form at play. Speed training and maturity will decrease his time. Saw a burst of speed when he tracked down a fly ball in left center.

Summary: Naturally talented player who is developing a fundamentally sound swing giving him a chance to be a consistent hitter at the next level with power to boot. Quality feel defensively in the outfield with an arm that will play at the next level. Some lower half stiffness both in his swing and throwing mechanics will have to be improved to take the next step at the pro level. Uncommitted outfielder that has tools and analytics that project well. It won’t be a surprise to see him have a massive 2022 season and find himself on the draft radar.