One of the premier events each summer on the PBR docket is the North Carolina Top Prospect Games.  This year, the Top Prospect Games took place on August 7^th at Campbell University with over 50 of the top players from North Carolina in attendance.   Position players worked through a full pro-style workout, followed by a controlled scrimmage with pitchers throwing live to hitters.  PBR scouts were on hand to collect stats, notes, and evaluations on each player in attendance.

In the coming days and weeks, we will dive deep into information and players from the Top Prospect Games.  Below are the statistical leaders from several key categories collected during game play and during the workout portion of the day.  While the stats do not paint a complete picture of the athlete, they do give us a starting point as we work to put grades on each player’s tools and his overall projection.

CLICK HERE to see the full stats from the Top Prospect Games

 

2019 NORTH CAROLINA TOP PROSPECT GAMES – QUICK HITTERS

 

 

The 60 Yard Dash

The 60 has been used for a long period of time to gauge speed in baseball players.  A bit antiquated, it does allow scouts to compare players from different time periods and has become a standard testing distance for pro-style workouts.  During the Top Prospect Games, players ran on a laser timed course.  The surface at the event was synthetic grass.   Only one time came in under 7.00, which in August, most players are not peaking their 60 times.  There were 11 players that ran a sub-7.20.  The median time for the laser timed 60 checked in at 7.41.

 

Exit Velocity

During the offensive portion of the day, players worked through an exit velocity testing station.  At this station, players attacked a ball on a tee with a radar gun reading the exit velocity of the ball off the barrel.  Players had the chance to swing their own bat, plus bats provided by Mizuno.  The numbers below are only from the exit velocity station.  In-game, the scoreboard at Campbell’s Jim Perry Stadium had TrackMan running, showing the distance and exit velocity off the bat of batted balls.  The top exit velocity checked in at 97 mph and 16 players registered a speed of 90 mph or higher in the testing.  The median exit velocity from the Top Prospect Games was 87 mph.

 

Positional Velocity – Infielders

Infielders were able to workout at Shortstop in the pro-style portion of the Top Prospect Games.  Players were hit a variety of ground balls, moving to secure the ball before transitioning the ball into a throw across the diamond.  Scouts are evaluating multiple areas during this session.  Arm strength, carry, accuracy, and ease of actions can all be marked.  PBR scouts add a radar gun to give a number to the arm strength.  While the radar reading does not tell the entire story, it does give evaluators a feel for pure arm strength.  30 infielders worked out from either shortstop or 1B.  The top radar reading across the diamond registered at 90 mph, with a median reading of 80 mph.

 

Positional Velocity – Outfielders

Similar to the infielders, there are several data points that evaluators are looking for as outfielders took batted balls from right field, making throws to home plate.  PBR scouts, again, took radar readings on each throw, giving scouts a chance to gauge arm strength with a solid number.  Eleven outfielders worked out from right field.  The top positional throw marked at 93 mph.  The median outfield throw for the group was at 82 mph.

 

Catcher Pop Times & Positional Velocity

In the pro-style workout, catchers workout from behind home plate, making multiple throws to 2B, simulating a stolen base attempt.  Scouts again are looking for a quick, clean transition to the release as well as carry and accuracy on the throw.  For catchers, evaluators will put a stopwatch on the “pop time” or the time the ball hits their glove to the time the ball hits the MIF’s glove at 2B.  Coaches can also time the transition from when the ball hits the catchers glove to when he is able to release his throw.  PBR scouts add the radar gun to put a number on the arm strength out of the crouched position.  The top pop time in the workout was a 1.90, with a median time from the group of 11 catchers of 2.05.  The top positional velocity checked in at 84 mph out of the hand, while the median for the group clocked in at 77 mph.

 

Max Fastball

Pitchers threw live to hitters at the The Top Prospect Games.  The innings were controlled to limit some of their stress and to allow them to showcase their arsenal to the coaches and scouts in attendance.  Eighteen arms threw at the event with the top fastball registering at 91 mph.  The median top fastball came in at 84 mph.