Prep Baseball Report

2018 Southern Academic Games - Middle Infielder Analysis


Brandon Hall & Matt Payne
North Carolina Director of Scouting & PBR Assoc Scout

Wednesday June 20th, at Davidson College, Prep Baseball Report of North Carolina hosted the 2018 Southern Academic Games, featuring high academic players from as far away as Texas and West Virginia, with a majority of the players from North Carolina.  On an unbelievably hot day, position players took part in an extended workout prior to controlled scrimmages. Pitchers were able to throw to live hitters with the staff of PBR controlling the length of the innings as most players were gearing up for another weekend of contests.  


With close to 40 high academic players in attendance, several took the opportunity to separate themselves in front of college coaches in attendance and the PBR staff.  As part of the event, PBR will be breaking down each player, presenting the statistics from the day, with an evaluation from a PBR scout and video.

 

An impressive group of middle infielders included 5 players in the 2019 and 2020 classes. Each player displayed the ability to catch the baseball and reasons to believe they will be able to stay on the left side of the field as they continue to mature. Several players showed versatility during the day with some baseball IQ and the ability to create depth on a roster. One bumped 86 on the mound and profiles as a possible dual prospect.



CLICK HERE for a complete look at the Southern Academic Games Roster

CLICK HERE for a comprehensive look at the statistics collected on every player in attendance.

 


QUICK HITTERS
+ 5 Players ran a sub 7.10 sixty, with 2 under 7.00… 11 ran under 7.30 seconds.
+ Accuracy was on display from the OF and INF workout sessions with several players showing carry as well.  Two outfielders were 84 or better and 6 infielders touched 79 across the diamond
+ 5 catchers turned in POP times of 2.10 or better, with three catchers carrying their throws out of the crouch at 75 mph or higher.
+ 4 hitters with exit velocities of 90 mph or higher… 11 above 85… 23 above 80.
+ In game action, 6 arms touched 80 or better with two 2019 grads working at 86 and 87.

 

Middle Infielder Analysis

 

 

Joshua Crisp SS / OF / Hibriten, NC / 2020

 

Average 6 feet 1, 160-pound build. Solid 7.25 sixty on an extremely hot day that saw most times down a bit.  Hits from the right using an open, balanced setup. Vertical bat. Small leg kick in his load and getting his lower half through the ball. Stiff hands cause his barrel to work in and out of zone at times. Pull emphasis, looking to drive the ball in the gaps with his exit velocity recorded at 78 mph. Average barrel awareness and bat speed.  Decent balance throughout with average head discipline. Shows soft hands on the infield with fluid feet, playing through the ball. Some rhythm between the feet and hands. Funnels to the center of his body after catch working to a short arm action, throwing from a high ¾ slot. Feet can get long in order to load the arm swing. Some accuracy to his throws with his arm topping at 70 mph across the diamond.


 

AJ Jones SS / 2B / Southern Nash, NC / 2020

 

Thin, wiry frame at 6 feet 160-pounds.  Good athlete with feel for his body. Hits from the left side using a tall, athletic, slightly open setup. Uses a leg kick in his load and gets his lower half through the ball. Loose hands with above average bat speed. Good head discipline, wants extension and shows good feel for the barrel.  Drives the ball in the gaps with a line drive approach. Good swing on a CB in game, driving it to the opposite field. Exit velocity recorded at 82 mph and will improve as he adds strength to the frame . Soft hands on the infield with fluid feet, playing through the ball. Catches the ball with ease.  Makes the routine play, routinely. Funnels to the center of his body after catch, using a short arm action throwing from different slots based on the play and his movement. Loose high-¾ slot when he needs to drive the ball with carry. Accurate arm. Plenty of carry to project him staying on the left side.  Positional velocity peaked at 79 mph. Versatile player that played in several different spots throughout the day. Worked out at 1B as well as SS, playing the position with ease and athleticism. Ran a 7.55 sixty on the laser timer. Plays in game situations at a faster pace.


 

Gavin Mortenson SS / 2B / Northwest Guilford, NC / 2020

 

6 feet 1, 165-pound athletic, projectable build. Room to add strength.  Does a lot of things with ease and athleticism. Impressed on the infield, showing soft hands with fluid feet, and clean, quick exchanges. Plays with good rhythm, transferring to the center of his body after catch, with an easy arm action throwing from different slots. Active hands and feet worked together on routine balls and when on the move.  Accurate arm with easy carry to his throws peaking at 79 mph across the diamond. Plenty of arm to project him staying on the left side of the field as he continues to mature. Hits from the right side using a tall, slightly open setup. Smooth load, with a short stride, while getting his hands ready to attack the ball. Shows barrel awareness working gap to gap with a line drive approach. Average bat speed that will improve with maturity.  Exit velocity peaked at 77 mph and should improve with added strength and getting his lower half through the ball more. Quickness is present, showing a good burst off the line in running a 7.36 laser timed 60. Again, with maturity and the ability to maintain top speed longer, this time will improve.
On the mound he works with a fluid delivery and loose arm, throwing from a high ¾ slot. Attacks hitters with his fastball at 76-79 mph and topping at 80 mph. Fastball has some arm side run and he can command it to both sides of the plate. Curveball has 1/7 tilt with gradual break at 61-64 mph. When ahead the breaking ball is thrown with more hand speed and has later bite.


 

Michael Starrs 2B / SS / Porter Ridge, NC / 2019

 

5 feet 9, 165-pound build. Average frame.  Hits from the right side using an open setup. Strong base.  Smooth load using a small leg kick, slightly diving back towards the plate. Rhythm and balance in his load.  Some waggle in the bat head. Fluid swing, with good balance. Advanced feel for his barrel. Barrel works short to the ball, staying in the zone, and getting extension out front. Gap to gap with a line drive approach and ball off the bat topping at 82 mph from average bat speed.  Plays through balls on the infield with fluid feet and soft hands. Catches the ball with ease off the inside left hip. Easy transition with looseness and athleticism. Long arm action, throwing from a high ¾ slot with accuracy to his throws peaking at 76 mph across the diamond. Average carry.  Ran a 7.40 laser timed sixty on a day where most times were down a tick.


 

Tyler White SS / RHP / Hopewell, NC / 2019


6 feet 2, 175-pound athletic, projectable build. Length in the frame.  Can continue to handle more strength. 7.21 sixty on the laser timer, playing with at least average speed throughout the day.  Hits from the right side using an athletic, balanced setup. Smooth back in his load with a short stride. Strength in his swing with feel for the barrel. Barrel works short to the ball and stays in the zone. Simple swing with balance throughout. Flat barrel works for extension, finishing with high hands.  Ability to drive the baseball with backspin. Looks to stay gap to gap with a line drive approach and ball off the bat peaking at 88 mph. Shows average hands on the infield with fluid feet, playing through the ball. Good rhythm between the feet and hands. Active feet, works to get around balls, playing through the catch and following throws.  Funnels to the center of his body after catch, using a medium arm swing, throwing from a high ¾ slot. Has the ability to be accurate from multiple slots. Accurate arm topping at 77 mph across the diamond. Plenty of carry to stay on the left side.
On the mound he uses a simple delivery.  Average leg kick with the backside pre-loaded to handle his weight.   Works on-line, landing square and finishing athletic. Long arm action gets to an over-the-top slot.  Fastball ran up to 86, settling 80-83 with occasional arm side life. Attacked the zone with fastball, flashing a feel for pitch-ability.  Used the fastball to both sides of the plate. Breaking ball has gradual tilt at 68-69. The shape can be inconsistent based on count, tending to throw more 12/6 when ahead and more 11/5 when working to get a pitch over.  Breaking ball is a solid pitch that could develop into a swing and miss type pitch with increased arm speed.