Top Performer Spotlight: 2020 C Joey Taddie

QUICK TAKE

Taddie is a big and physical catcher and surprisingly athleticism given his size and strength. Generally speaking, quick and efficient actions aren't seen often in 6-foot-4 225-pound high school players entering their junior season. However, Taddie is one who breaks the mold. He gets rid of the ball well, possesses a strong arm, and at the plate he's more hitter than slugger right now and that's a really good sign for his ability to contribute with the bat down the road.

SCOUTING REPORTS

8/25/18 - 6-foot-4, 225-pounds, long and strong and certainly a noticeable body. Good leg strength with long legs. Strength comes out in his offensive game. Tall set-up, fairly short stride with good balance. Short swing with a quick bat that produces good pop. Has the the look of a hitter who can control the barrel with limited swing and miss and also produce extra base hits. Ball leaves his bat quite well and it doesn’t take a lot of effort for that to happen. Stays on a line drive swing plane. Worked middle of the field in game at-bats, resulting in a hard hit single to centerfield in one at-bat. Defensively he has a good arm that works for the catcher position, though it’s not a plus arm. Despite big frame his feet work well and he gets throws off quickly with consistently low pop times and was generally accurate around the bag. Showed heady nature as a player during game action and plays the game aggressively. Overall he’s performed well during a few summer viewings and is rising among 2020 catching prospects in Northern California.

7/27/18 @ NCTB underclass tourney - XL frame with long, muscular legs and arms; long frame moves well and showing present strength throughout. Stands tall with a wide base and even hands; small leg kick helps keep weight behind baseball and body in time. Compact swing with loft and plus raw power (91 exit velo); stays on time with FB well and ability to adjust to off-speed and use large body to go down and get the lower pitches. Ended up with 4 HR’s and multiple extra base hits during week event. Showed quick release from average arm behind the plate during testing; 2.03-2.06 Pop times with ball regularly on the bag. Showed off catching ability in game with couple caught stealing, but think long term home of 1B due to size. Not going to be a base stealer (7.48 60-yd), but runs well under way with long legs able to move quickly and can go 1st to 3rd or score from home. /// Big strong kid who will continue to get stronger.  Receives and blocks well.  Exchange is clean and throws to 2nd base were right on line around 2.1 with Avg Footwork. Offensively, he is a free swinger with home run pop.  Needs to clean up his stride and load to deliver a more balanced swing but there is plenty to work with with this player.

6/1/18 - 6/3/18 @ BAWS 2018 - Big and noticeable body, looks fairly physically mature at 6-foot-4 225-pounds. Wide stance with lower hands and leg lift timing; average hand speed with ability to use physical frame to do damage on ball. Very loud bat with leverage creating raw pull power; times where bat can be long. Average arm plays up with quick transitions and ability to get rid of ball (1.94-2.22); average blocker and stiffer wrist. Physical runner with longer stride.