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Fall Underclass Games: Catchers Analysis

November 8, 2016

Shon Plack
Kansas Scouting Director

On October 23, Prep Baseball Report - Kansas/Missouri held the Fall Underclass Games in Manhattan, Kansas.  Nearly 60 players from around the two states from the 2019 and 2020 classes attended the event. 

Player profiles have been updated with profile picture, stats and video.  In days to come, we will break down the event position-by-position.  Today, we will take an in-depth look at the catchers.  The catching group was very talented with six catchers pop times under 2.00. Click on the player's name to see their profile.

Below is a break down of the catchers from the Fall Underclass Games. Players are listed in alphabetical order according to state. 

CLICK HERE to see the Instant Analysis

Kansas Catchers

Koby Burdett, C, Goddard Eisenhower (KS), 2020
Burdett is a 6-foot-1 210-pound left-handed hitting catcher in Kansas’ 2020 class.  He ran a 8.18 60 and a 4.53 home-to-first.  He has an exit velo of 87 mph, one of the top LHH exit velos for the event. At the plate, starts in an open stance with minimal load and now wasted movement, loose hands with smooth rhythm and acceleration, flashed pull power with gap-to-gap approach, during game action, showed good plate presence with knowledge of strike zone.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.06 and 2.32-seconds, clean exchange with short over the top release, fluid footwork, 65 mph positional velo, mostly accurate throws, some with back spin carry.

Cole Conner, C, Mill Valley (KS), 2019
Conner is a 6-foot 175-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Kansas’ 2019 class.  He ran a 7.88 60 and a 4.90 home-to-first.  He has a 75 mph exit velo. At the plate, balanced set up, short line line stride, strong loose hands creating quick bat speed, compact, hands work inside ball, consistent middle of the field line drives during batting practice.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.01 and 2.16-seconds, 69 mph positional velo, quick exchange with over the top release, short arm swing, narrow stance in feet, fluid footwork, mostly accurate throws with carry.

Zac Cox, C, Manhattan (KS), 2019
Cox is a strong and athletic 6-foot 185-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Kansas’ 2019 class.  He ran a 7.25 60 and a 4.50 home-to-first.  He has a 90 mph exit velo, one of the top RHH exit velos for the event. At the plate, open stance, controlled leg lift with in line stride, aggressive to the ball, level bat path, stays on ball after contact, consistent hard contact during batting practice gap-to-gap, doubled to left-center gap in game action.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.00 t0 2.25-seconds, 81 mph catcher velo, throws from high three-quarters arm slot, quick actions with somewhat accurate throws.

Nick Elms, C, Blue Valley Northwest (KS), 2019
Elms is a 5-foot-8 165-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2019 class.  He ran a 8.06 60 and a 5.03 home-to-first.  He has a 77 mph exit velo. At the plate, open stance, early in line stride, smooth rhythm and tempo, pull side contact during batting practice. Behind the plate, pop times between 2.02 and 2.21-seconds, 66 mph positional velo, over the top release, fluid exchange, momentum through the catch, mostly accurate throws.

Parker Esparza, C, Olathe East (KS), 2019
Esparza is a 6-foot 150-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Kansas’ 2019 class.  He ran a 7.40 60 and a 4.88 home-to-first.  He has a 75 mph exit velo. At the plate, open stance, loads into back leg, level path through the zone, pull side contact during batting batting practice, singled in game action.  Behind the plate, pop times between 1.97 and 2.06-seconds, one of the top pop times for the event, 70 mph positional velo, short high three-quarters arm slot, loose arm action, accurate thrower, with carry.

Jacob Kindhart, C, St. James Academy (KS), 2019
Kindhart is a 5-foot-10 170-pound left-handed hitting catcher in Kansas’ 2019 class.  He ran a 7.81 60 and a 4.50 home-to-first.  He has a 72 mph exit velo. At the plate, starts loaded in back leg, minimal load, aggressive to ball, middle to opposite field contact in batting practice, level swing path.  Behind the plate, pop times between 1.90 and 2.19-seconds, one of the top catcher's pop times for the event, 69 mph positional velo, quick exchange with short over the top release, loose arm action, momentum through the catch, quick feet, sits high to receive the ball, mostly accurate, flashing carry.

Payton Smith, C, Washburn Rural (KS), 2019
Smith is a strong 6-foot 210-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Kansas’ 2019 class.  He ran a 7.38 60 and a 4.72 home-to-first.  He has a 96 mph exit velo, top RHH exit velo for the event. At the plate, aggressive swing, hard solid contact during batting practice to the middle of the field, balanced set up, quick and strong hands, has pull side power, singled in game action.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.01 and 2.15-seconds, one of the top pop times for the event, 74 mph positional velo, short over the top release, quick actions, has high energy, momentum through the catch, somewhat accurate throws with carry.

Missouri Catchers

Sam Beuerlein, C, Park Hill South (MO), 2019
Beuerlein is a strong bodied 6-foot 185-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2019 class.  He ran a 7.52 60 and a 4.62 home-to-first.  He has an exit velo of 83 mph. At the plate, balanced set up, reverse toe tap, in line stride, middle to opposite field contact during batting practice, level path through zone.  Behind the plate, 1.97 to 2.06-second pop times, one of the top pop times of the event, over the top release, fluid glove to hand exchange with momentum through the through,  feet work with hands, mostly accurate throws, some with back spin carry, 77 mph positional velo, one of the top catcher's velos.

Benjamin Jones, C, Liberty North (MO), 2020
Jones is a strong and durable 5-foot-8 170-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2020 class.  He ran a 7.31 60 and a 4.72 home-to-first.  He has an exit velo of 68 mph. At the plate, advanced hitting approach, balanced set up with controlled leg kick, in line stride with accelerated hands, gap to gap approach, aggressive, flashing oppo pop, solid consistent contact during batting practice, doubled to left center in game action.  Behind the plate, short over the top arm slot, quick feet in sync with exchange, quick catch and throw, pop times between 1.95-2.02-seconds, one of the top times for the event, mostly accurate throws, 76 mph positional velo, one of the top catcher's velos for the event.

Trevor Kardell, C, Lee’s Summit West (MO), 2020
Kardell is a lean and projectable 6-foot-5 175-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2020 class.  He ran a 7.27 60 and a 4.63 home-to-first.  He has an 89 mph exit velo, one of the top RHH exit velos for the event. At the plate, balanced stance, short in line stride, hands walk away from stride, quick and level bat path, middle of the field contact, flashed power, singled to left and doubled to left center in game action.  Behind the plate, short and quick over the top release, fluid footwork working with exchange, aggressive, pop times between 1.90 and 2.05-seconds, one of the top catcher pop times for the event, 80 mph positional velo, top velo for the event for catchers, mostly accurate throws with back spin carry.

Brady Prewitt, C, Raytown South (MO), 2019
Prewitt is a 5-foot-9 167-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2019 class.  He ran a 7.38 60 and a 4.30 home-to-first.  He has an exit velo of 79 mph. At the plate, balanced set up, smooth rhythm, reverse to tap, accelerates to ball, consistent middle of the field contact, loose hands, solid contact during game action, reaching base on a pair of errors.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.17 and 2.25-seconds, 72 mph positional velo, moves well behind plate, clean and quick exchange, high three quarters release, quick and loose arm action, fluid footwork, somewhat accurate throws.

Joe Reid, C, Nixa (MO), 2020
Reid is a 5-foot-10 160-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2020 class.  He ran a 7.95 60 and a 5.01 home-to-first.  He has an 85 mph exit velo. At the plate, open stance, reverse toe tap for timing, aggressive to the ball, level path through the zone, quick bat speed, solid consistent contact gap-to-gap during batting practice.  Behind the plate, pop times between, 1.96 and 2.03-seconds, 76 mph positional velo, one of the top catcher's velos fo the event, quick exchange with over the top release, soft hands, aggressive through the catch with momentum, mostly accurate throws, some showing carry.

Xavier Robinson, C, Raytown South (MO), 2019
Robinson is a 5-foot-7 179-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2019 class.  He ran a 7.64 60 and a 4.88 home-to-first.  He has an 81 mph exit velo. At the plate, balanced set up, smooth rhythm, short stride, now wasted movement, mostly pull side contact during battig practice.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.06 and 2.18-seconds, 74 mph positional velo, quick exchange, short over the top release, aggressive, feet work with hands, mostly accurate throws with carry.

Mickey Simpson, C, Grain Valley (MO), 2019
Simpson is a 5-foot-7 140-pound right-handed switch hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2019 class.  He ran a 7.92 60 and a 4.75 home-to-first.  He has a 76 mph exit velo from the right side and a 73 mph exit velo from the left side. At the plate, open set up from both sides, simple load with no wasted movement, short to contact, level bat path, middle to pull approach from both sides, consistent line drives during batting practice, although a bit more connected from right side.  Behind the plate, singled to center from right side in game action.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.09 and 2.19-seconds, 70 mph positional velo, receives the ball well, fluid and athletic actions with loose arm action and momentum, fluid footwork and exchange, mostly accurate throws, improvements across the board in all a categories, projectable athlete long-term.

Tyler Worley, C, Liberty North (MO), 2020
Worley is a 5-foot-10 130-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2020 class.  He ran a 8.00 60 and a 5.23 home-to-first.  He has a 71 mph exit velo. At the plate, balanced set up, slight load into back side, simple and repeatable, gap-to-gap approach, loose hands, manages the barrel well.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.15 and 2.33-seconds, 71 mph positional velo, over the top release, arm works, receives the ball well, fluid exchange, mostly accurate throws, athletic frame capable of adding strength to already loose movements.

 

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