The Top Middle Infielders from the Top Prospect Showcase

August 3, 2011

Ohio’s first annual Top Prospect event has concluded. Today, we cover the middle infielders.

Top 2012 Middle Infield Prospects for the Event

Kris Simonton, IF, Dublin Scioto- The 6-foot-3, 190-pound infielder has a long, athletic build. He recorded a 6.7 time in the 60-yard dash. From shortstop, he registered 78 mph across the diamond. With his loose, high ¾ throwing motion, he could eventually project as a corner infielder. At the plate, the right-handed hitter uses a balance setup with a short, but high stride. He generated line drives with the occasional display of power. With his overall athleticism, Simonton has a high ceiling and could project at a number of positions at the next level.

Luke Wolford, IF, Olentangy Orange/Dayton Recruit- The 5-foot-9, 165-pound infielder has a solid, compact build. He recorded a 6.82 time with the 60-yard dash. From shortstop, he registered 80 mph across the infield with a short, loose arm action from a low ¾ slot. He uses an exceptionally quick release and fluid exchange on his transfer. He consistently attacks and plays through the baseball from his position. At the plate, the right-handed hitter uses an athletic setup, short stride, quick bat speed, and a level bat path to show consistent line drives to all fields.

Alex Havens, IF, Twinsburg- The 5-foot-8, 145-pound middle infielder has a small, athletic build. He recorded a 7.25 time in the 60-yard dash. From shortstop, he registered 78 mph across the diamond. He displayed short, loose arm action from a high ¾ arm slot. With some of the best defensive skills at the event, Havens showed soft hands and fluid footwork as he consistently played through the ball. At the plate, he uses an athletic setup with a long stride from the right side. He uses a short, level bat path to produce consistent line drives. If he cleans up some mechanical issue, he could improve his bat speed and explosiveness.

The Best of the Rest

· Brett Robberts, Utica- The 6-foot, 180-pound middle infielder is a right handed hitting prospect. He registered a 7.07 60-yard dash and 78 mph across the infield.

· Jeff Clemmons, Madison- The 6-foot, 195-pound middle infielder, who also pitches, shows the potential of being a two-way prospect. He showed 7.27 speed and 79 mph across the infield.

Top 2013 Middle Infield Prospects for the Event

Austin Rieman, IF, Badin- The 6-foot, 180-pound prospect has a solid, athletic build. He proved to be the top 2013 middle infield prospect at the event. He recorded a 7.00 time in the 60-yard dash. From shortstop, he uses a short, loose arm action from a high ¾ slot to register 82 mph across the diamond. In the field, he displayed fluid footwork, soft hands, and range to his left and right. At the plate, Rieman, who hits from the right side, is a line drive, gap-to-gap, hitter. His compact, explosive swing features a short stride and level path to the ball.

Patrick Raiff, IF, Caroll- The 5-foot-8, 165-pound prospect has a short, athletic build. He recorded a 7.12 time in the 60-yard dash. In the field, he registered 70 mph across the diamond with a long arm action and an over the top arm slot. He needs to continue to refine his fielding mechanics as he tended to show flat feet and the propensity to field the ball deep. At the plate, Raiff, who hits from the left side, showed a smooth, compact swing. His fast bat speed and explosive lower half generate powerful line drives to all fields.

The Best of the Rest

Kyle Lento, Dublin Jerome- The 5-foot-8, 155-pound middle infielder is a right-handed hitting prospect. He registered a 7.05 60-yard dash and 78 mph across the infield.
James Thomas, Newark Catholic- The 5-foot-8, 150-pound middle infielder, is a right-handed hitting prospect. He showed 7.17 speed and 75 mph across the infield.

· Jared Yoakam- The 6-foot-1, 175-pound infielder, who also pitches, is a right-handed hitting prospect. He showed 7.34 speed and 79 mph across the infield.